


not the flawless one (i've never been)

by champagnetoast



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-11
Updated: 2016-11-02
Packaged: 2018-08-21 20:43:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8259947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/champagnetoast/pseuds/champagnetoast
Summary: the one where Lauren is a confusing asshole and Camila hates assholes so they just kind of ignore each other but not really;or,Camila is a sucker for tattoos





	1. Chapter 1

Camila hates college.

Okay, no, that's not entirely true. Classes haven't started yet and she's hardly even set foot in her dorm room more than four times. But she's definitely pissed.

She's attempting to lug Dinah's heavy fucking box in this too tight hallway and the fucking  _open_  flaps keep catching on the scuffed up fucking walls and fucking Dinah is  _God knows where_  and she can't get her  _fucking_  key out to open this  _fucking_  lock that keeps  _fucking_  sticking and-

She takes a moment to stop and breathe because she can faintly hear her mom in the back of her head scolding her in Spanish for her terrible language.

After that brief moment, she starts to feel a little better, and she's just about give the lock another attempt when Dinah comes barreling in front of her with empty arms, opens the door on her first try, glances back at Camila and asks  _why is she just standing there doing nothing_.

So no, Camila doesn't hate college.

Camila hates Dinah.

~~

They're carrying the last of their belongings (read: Dinah's) to their shared room when Dinah stops abruptly in the hallway, resulting in a muted  _oomph_  as Camila ungracefully bumps into her best friend's back.

"Dinah, what the f-"

"Shit, Mila, I left my water bottle on the wall outside our building. Could you run down and grab it for me? I'll take the rest of the stuff to our room."

Camila rolls her eyes as a nonverbal reply, but hangs the plastic bags in her hands onto Dinah's arms and turns to head the way she came.

She pushes through the entranceway leading to the outside and scans the small brick wall lining their building. After spotting it a couple feet away, she snatches it up and heads back in.

There's an elevator, but they're only on the second floor and she really doesn't feel like waiting for it, so she opts for the stairs.

All that's on her mind is her final destination, her bed, where she can lay down and attempt to block out Dinah's inevitable twerking music. The relief is so close she can taste it, one final corner to round and her room will come into view where her mattress is surely beckoning her to lie.

She's glancing down as she turns the corner, inspecting Dinah's  _Beyoncé_  bottle, when for the second time in two minutes, she feels herself collide with a soft body, letting out another soft grunt as the bottle slips from her grasp.

Their bodies are completely flush with one another, chest to chest, hips to hips, and well, Camila can't really be blamed for enjoying the feeling of a warm body pressed up to hers, can she? A long second or two passes before they separate themselves, and when they do, Camila shifts her head upwards. The first thing she notices are the greenest eyes she's ever seen.

The second thing she physically cannot  _help_  but notice is the ink lining the girl's bare arms, starting from her wrists and winding upwards until the tattoos disappear under her sleeveless shirt. Camila only has a second to stare but in that fleeting moment she spots a bunch of roses wrapped around the girl's left bicep, and what looks like a tiger on her right forearm.

It leaves Camila breathless.

Has she mentioned that tattoos are a huge turn on for her?

That blissful feeling is short lived, however, when she sees the girl's deep scowl marring her features and watches her open her mouth.

"Watch the fuck where you're going, freshman."

It's like the combination of her hormones from meeting this  _really_  attractive girl, the stress of moving in and starting over in a new environment, the girl's foul mood, and fucking  _Dinah_ , all come together in this moment and drag Camila's mood into the goddamn grave.

Tattoos? What tattoos?

"What's your fucking problem? It was an accident."

"My problem is that your big ass clearly throws off your balance so badly that you walked right into me!"

If Camila wasn't so angry, she probably would have put together that the girl would have had to check her out to notice her ass (she might have also noticed the girl's appreciative green eyes earlier if she wasn't so busy doing some  _appreciating_  herself).

"My day is already shit enough. I don't need to deal with this right now," green eyes spits out, then roughly shoulders Camila as she stalks past her. 

In a cartoon world, steam would be coming out of Camila's ears. In the real world, she's too frustrated to speak, so she just lets the girl storm off, snatches the water bottle off the floor, and takes the last few steps to her room, ready to explode.

Poor, poor Dinah Jane.

~~

It's been three weeks since classes started, and while Camila hasn't had any direct run ins with Bitchy McHottiepants since that first time (yes that's what she calls her. Only to herself though. Nobody else needs to know about it, thank you very much), she's seen her around campus more than a couple times. They would either glare or deliberately ignore each other if they made eye contact, and then carry on with their days. It both infuriates and excites Camila, because while the girl is such a bitch, she's also really,  _really_ , attractive.

Whenever Camila thinks about or sees her, she experiences this weird mix of anger and longing.  _Sexual frustration_  sounds like the right term to describe it. But more literal. Like, she wants her, but she hates her.

But she attempts to push the girl from her thoughts completely because, no matter how hot someone is, if their personality is shit, Camila wants no part of them.

So instead, she distracts herself with school and Dinah and making new friends, and it works, for the most part.

Like last week, Dinah wanted to introduce Camila to a girl she met somewhere (Dinah didn't actually tell her where). She was a short, bubbly junior from Texas named Ally, and after a study session in their room followed by a movie, Camila could safely say that Ally was the sweetest person she had ever met.

There's a brief moment when she wonders why someone like Ally couldn't have been her roommate, but then she remembers that Dinah is kind of her person, has been that person for years now, and she wouldn't trade the loudmouthed asshole for anyone. 

And then the other day Ally wanted to introduce them to a good friend of hers, so they went out for a cheap dinner and met Normani, an outgoing sophomore that Camila could tell would get along with Dinah extremely well (seen as the two were already ganging up on Camila halfway through dinner. Ally came to her rescue until they started picking on her too.).

Fast forward to today, where Camila is laying on her back on Dinah's bed waiting for her to finish getting ready. Earlier on, Ally had asked if they wanted to get together and meet another one of her close friends.

"Dinah, hurry  _up_. I'm getting old here."

"Calm your tits, Chancho. I had an evening class unlike you."

Camila grumbles and places her hands over her own boobs. "Don't talk about my tits."

All she gets is a face full of pillow in return, which,  _rude_.

She leaves it laying on her face and attempts to breathe through the fabric, counting the seconds in her head to see how long she can last before she gets lightheaded. It's at 23 seconds when Dinah's hand slaps down on the pillow, effectively making Camila lose count, and, well, crushing her face all at once.

"Up up up let's go Mila I ain't got all day."

The pillow is snatched away from her face and the hand she attempts to smack Dinah with misses, of course. 

Camila's legs swing off the bed as she stands up, snatching her phone off the bed before heading for the door. "Why do I put up with you?" she groans as they leave the room.

"Because," Dinah begins, swinging an arm around Camila's shoulders. "I'm perfect."

"Debatable," Camila says, rolling her eyes as they make their way to Ally's dorm.

The dramatic gasp Dinah lets out is faker than her hair color. So Camila tells her.

She should have seen the shove coming. "At least it looks more real than that Cuban ass of yours."

"Please, Dinah Jane, you and I both know that this booty is 100% real." And she shakes it for effect, but since they're walking it just ends up looking more awkward than sexy.

Dinah sighs as she tugs Camila back to her side. "I know, boo boo, I know. It's so beautiful it could make angels cry." She even rubs it briefly for good measure. Camila swats her hand away as Dinah chuckles, but not before someone gives them a strange look for their weird display of affection.

Whatever. She's not even mad. She's wearing her  _good_  jeans today.

~~

"Hi guys, come on in." They're welcomed through the door by Ally with a sweet smile and a sweep of her arm.

"Hey Dinah, Camila," Normani greets as she stands up to hug them.

"Lauren should be here in a couple of minutes," Ally explains as she pulls back from her embrace with Camila.

From Camila's left, Dinah slaps her own hands together. "Sounds good," she says, then proceeds to rub them together. "So what's the plan for tonight?"

Ally is fiddling with her laptop on her desk, her back facing them. "I figured we could just hang out, maybe watch a movie, whatever you guys feel like."

Sitting down on the edge of Ally's bed, Camila glances around the room, smiling at the abundance of family pictures tacked onto a cork board.  _God, did she mention that Ally is like, the sweetest person to ever live?_

She half-listens to the in-depth conversation Normani and Dinah are having about this year's VMAs as they wait for this Lauren girl to arrive. As she's about to pitch in why she thinks Bryson Tiller should have won the 'Best New Artist' category, there's a quick knock at the door.

Ally quickly shuffles over to the door (she has to take like, twice as many steps as everyone else, it's so cute) and opens it widely to let Lauren in.

Camila is all smiles until her eyes land on the newcomer, and suddenly Lauren becomes  _Lauren, that girl, the asshole, green eyes, Bitchy McHottiepants, an-_

Okay Camila needs to stop.

She watches as Lauren's bright eyes and soft smile sweep around the room until they land on Camila, where she slowly sees her own mood being reflected onto Lauren's face. Pleasant greetings are exchanged with Lauren by Normani and Ally, but Camila can tell that her attention is divided.

"Lauren, this is Dinah," Ally starts, gesturing to the girl. "And over there is Camila, her roommate." Dinah watches the two have some weird sort of stare down and puts what she thinks is two and two together. Camila notices the smirk on her face and automatically knows what is going through Dinah's head, which, uh no, she couldn't be more wrong.

"Um, hi... Lauren." Camila doesn't know how they're going to act around each now that they have mutual acquaintances and have to hang out, but what she doesn't expect is for the girl to pretty much ignore her and turn to greet Dinah instead.

The fucking  _nerve_  of her! At least Camila attempted to mend the animosity between the two, but if Lauren can't be bothered to put some effort in, then Camila doesn't give a rat's ass about it either.

They all settle down around Ally's room, Camila still on the bed, Dinah flopping herself down next to her. "So Chancho, I'm sensing a little something-something between you two." The wiggling eyebrows were really unnecessary to prove her point.

"Shut up. I don't even know her." The shove to Dinah's shoulder barely moves the girl. Camila for once wishes she had visited the gym more.

"But I bet you'd like to get to know her. Or  _under_  her."

"Oh my god, I don't even like her. Stop."

There's a grin on Dinah's face which Camila just wants to...

She's never slapped someone but this could be the first.

"How do you know you don't like her? You just said you don't know her."

"Oh my god," she says for the second time, digging the heels of her hands into her eyes. "You saw the way she treated me. I don't have time for people like her."

A teasing groan comes from her right as Dinah rolls her eyes. "Yeah, and has it occurred to you that maybe she just didn't know how to handle herself around a  _pretty_  girl like you?" While Camila dodges Dinah's attempted poke to her nose, her finger still hits her cheek.

She swats the hand away in annoyance and rubs her face. "No, because I can tell when someone is an asshole." There's a red flush to Camila's cheeks because Dinah's volume got a little too loud for comfort during that last sentence, and they're still in a small dorm room with three other people. One of which they're talking about. They shouldn't be having this conversation here. Or like, at all.

"Ugh, what is with you and your stupid sixth sense or whatever?"

"It's not stupid. It works because I avoided a messy situation with Austin, remember?"

If Dinah keeps rolling her eyes, they're going to get stuck in the back of her head. "Sure, but what about Ariana? Your  _spidey sense_ didn't help you there."

"It did... eventually. Can we not talk about her anymore, Dinah?"

Camila feels herself get pulled in for an aggressive side hug. "Okay okay, I'm sorry Mila. I'll drop it." She doesn't like the slow forming smirk on Dinah's face. "Just like you'll drop your pants for Laur-"

"Oh my god shut up!" Dinah does, mostly because everyone in the room is staring at Camila in confusion (and some weird, pissed off, constipated version of confusion in Lauren's case). "Sorry. Sorry guys," Camila breathes out. "I... Dinah was just being obnoxious. Ignore us."  _Please._

"Y'all are like sisters. It's too cute," Ally says with a chuckle.

"I don't know if I'd call the pain in my ass 'cute'. But I love her anyways," Dinah jokes, messing Camila's hair up for good measure.

Camil groans, attempting to fix her hair as she let's a small smile play on her lips. "Yeah yeah, whatever Dinah  _Pain._ "

When Ally directs an affectionate grin towards the two, Camila suddenly wonders how the fuck someone like Ally Brooke could be friends- no, sorry,  _best_  friends -with someone like Lauren. The scowl on the brooding girl's face is a stark contrast from Ally's bright expression.

"So," Normani begins, breaking through Camila's thoughts. "Where are you two from?"

"Well Mila and I met during the first year of high school when she moved here. I've lived in Cali my whole life, but she came from Miami," Dinah explains to the others.

"Really? No way. Lo here is from Miami too," Normani says, jerking her thumb in Lauren's direction.

"That's so cool! For all you know, you two could have bumped into each other before today," Ally pitches in excitedly. "Or in another universe you could have been friends already!"

Camila wants to laugh, because  _no._ Even if they knew each other when they were much younger, she can't see Lauren as anything except a bitch.

"Um, yeah, totally cool," she says instead. She catches Lauren rolling her eyes and it just...

Let's just say that tattoos or not, this girl is not worth Camila's time. But then there's this nagging voice in the back of her mind that's telling her not to judge someone so quickly and harshly, because maybe they've just been having a bad day, or just happened to be caught at a bad time.

She quickly shuts down that thought. Maybe Lauren isn't an asshole all of the time, but she's definitely always an asshole to Camila, and as far as Camila's concerned, they have nothing to do with each other.

Their night progresses at its own pace, the girls getting to know each other with Lauren interjecting a comment here and there to play her part, but generally staying quiet.

They're finishing up the last of their shared pizzas when Normani calls her out on it.

"Hey Lo, you okay? You're not usually this quiet."

"Uh yeah, yeah I'm fine Mani," Lauren assures, absentmindedly waving a tattooed arm around. (Camila can't help how her eyes track the movement. Tattoos are  _really_ hot okay?)

She doesn't know what's said after that because she finds herself tracing Lauren's arms with her eyes, drinking in the sight of the inked skin.

When they first met, Camila had seen the rose and tiger tattoos, but now she has a chance to appreciate the others, and she's not sure why she didn't sooner.

The rose bouquet wrapped around her left bicep fades into a series of sugar skulls as the sleeve progresses to her forearm. There are what look like cherry blossoms to end the tattoo near her wrist, as well as other flowers dotted around here and there to fill in the empty spaces. The entire sleeve is shaded in with bright, vibrant colors to give it an almost psychedelic feel.

Camila's eyes drift over to the right arm, where she notices the tiger she saw from the first time. Now that she has more time to look at it, she recognizes that the creature has a sort of geometric shape to it. While the left arm had a softer, smoother tone to it, the tattoos on Lauren's right arm are significantly sharper, more staccato. The tiger looks like it's stalking across the underside of Lauren's forearm, its face near her wrist and the tail ending closer to the crook of her elbow.

It's harder for Camila to differentiate the images on this sleeve, but she does notice a lot of intricate patterns weaving around Lauren's arms. The things she can pick out from the tattoo are a feather and an hourglass on Lauren's bicep, both sporting the same geometric design. She spots the Fibonacci spiral wrapped around the point of her elbow, and an arrow on the underside of her wrist.

Camila's about to finish deciphering Lauren's art (because they're more than just tattoos; they're masterpieces) when she briefly glances up only to notice green eyes trained on her. Lauren has just caught Camila thoroughly eyeing her, and she promptly blushes red even though Lauren is sporting a disapproving scowl.

Her staring can be saved for another, less embarrassing day. 

As if the leering triggered something in Lauren, she abruptly stands up, catching the attention of everyone in the room.

"I'm going to head out. I'm, uh, not feeling well."  _Bullshit._

Ally's demeanor immediately takes on a motherly one, looking worriedly at Lauren. "Are you okay Lauren? Do you need me to get you some medicine or something?"

Lauren chuckles nervously, not wanting to be caught in her white lie. "No no, it's nothing like that. I've just had a long day and I'm pretty beat. Thanks though," she forces a small grin, edging towards the door. "I'll catch up with you guys later. Bye Ally, Mani. Nice meeting you Dinah."

Camila is watching the girl intently at this point, noticing how she doesn't even glance in her direction. Lauren is out of the door before anyone can even return her goodbyes. Well, not Camila. She doesn't even have a goodbye to return. Fucking  _Lauren_  ignored her again, didn't even have the decency to acknowledge her. Camila is so  _done._ She keeps letting this girl rile her up and it's getting extremely frustrating. 

Turning her attention back to the slightly confused girls, she forcefully pushes any thought of Lauren from her mind. Ally is a sweetheart, Normani is hilarious, and Dinah is her best friend. She doesn't need Lauren.

Or her stupid tattoos.

~~

Later that evening, Camila is lying in bed, Dinah's rhythmic snores coming from her left. She realizes that her while thoughts regarding Lauren have been along the lines of  _ignore the girl_ or _she's not worth your time,_ she's been doing the exact opposite. She's even contradicting herself right now.

It's frustrating to deal with Lauren, but Camila realizes she'll have to suck it up if she wants to get to know Ally and Normani, since the three are all best friends. So, in the darkness of her room, Camila resolves to merely tolerate Lauren. She'll interact with her if she has to, play her part as having mutual acquaintances, and that'll be it. And maybe if she's feeling generous, she'll reward herself with some secret glances because, like, Lauren is still really hot.

Whatever. It's true.

~~

They've all agreed to meet up at the coffee shop five minutes from campus after their respective classes, and Camila is pretty sure she's the first one there since her professor let the class out thirty minutes early. But when she toes open the glass door to the little cafe and sees the familiar waves of black hair sitting in the corner, she realizes Lauren beat her there.

Contemplating waiting outside for one of the other girls to arrive, Camila shakes her head at herself. No, she's not going to be that petty. They're probably going to be seeing a lot of each other, so she needs to at least be able to coexist in the same room as Lauren. Maybe they can come to some sort of agreement...

Camila makes her way over to the corner table, dropping her belongings in the chair perpendicular to Lauren. The girl has her earphones in, so she doesn't notice Camila is there until she sees movement out of the corner of her eye.

Neither girl offers anything more than brief eye contact, so Camila decides to order a drink before she addresses Lauren. As she's waiting for the barista to call her name, Camila shoves her wallet back into her backpack and stands in front of Lauren.

"Listen," she sighs, because, really, this isn't something she  _wants_ to do. "C-can I talk to you for a moment?" 

No, she most certainly did not stutter over her words because Lauren's bright green eyes locked onto hers. That would be ridiculous.

Lauren at least has the decency to give Camila her attention and remove an earbud from her ear, so Camila inhales through her nose and keeps speaking.

"I like our friends, and you like our friends, correct?" The slight nod prompts her to continue. "I know you and I don't really get along, but I mean, for their sake, maybe we should at least try to tolerate each other?" She poses it as a question, mostly because she's not sure how Lauren is going to react.

Lauren pauses her music and runs a hand through her hair, ruffling the black curls. "That sounds like a good idea. For their sake."

Camila blinks. She didn't expect Lauren to agree so easily.

"I-oh, uh, alright then."

There's a small smirk on Lauren's face as she puts her earbud back in. "Alright then."

Slightly confused by how easy that was, Camila is about to turn around when Lauren calls her.

"Oh, and maybe if you weren't so annoying, we might get along."

Now, Camila knows she could get mad at Lauren, start a fight in this quiet cafe, but she doesn't really feel like doing so. They  _are_  supposed to tolerate each other now, anyways, right? "Maybe if you weren't such a bitch, we could get along," Camila fires back, a smirk now present on her own face. (She hopes she didn't push it too far.)

Lauren looks surprised for a moment, and Camila's worried the girl is going to get angry with her. But she just sees Lauren's smile grow a little wider, and she's about to open her mouth and reply to Camila.

"Camilla?"

Her head jerks towards the counter, where the barista has set her drink down and inevitably called her name incorrectly (like, she's not even surprised anymore). When she glances back at Lauren, the girl is already engrossed in her phone, so she goes to fetch her drink.

That was the most civil they've been towards each other yet, and it came fairly easily, so there should be no problem "tolerating" each other around their friends. She wonders, though, if things would have been different if they hadn't bumped into each other her first day. Maybe they wouldn't have to simply put up with each other. Maybe they could have been friends. Maybe Lauren would have let her touch her tattoos and kiss her li-

Whoa whoa whoa. Camila has no idea why her mind went  _there_ , but she shuts that thought down quickly. She's probably just horny and needs to get laid or something. It's just her sexual frustration that has absolutely nothing to do with Lauren. That's it. Lauren who?

She wonders if her red cheeks are as hot as her coffee.

~~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> go follow me on wattpad friends. i'm champagnetoast there too. i'm posting converted camren one shots and short stories on there that won't be posted here, and there's already half of one published. literally free camren fics with smut what are you waiting for.
> 
> https://www.wattpad.com/user/champagnetoast


	2. Chapter 2

Camila hates parties.

She's never been much of a party girl, preferring to stay in, lounge around in her pjs, and binge watch episodes of Orange Is The New Black while stuffing her face with pizza.

But she's here for Dinah because Camila forewent the previous party, promising she would attend the next one (the  _I have homework_  excuse only works so many times), and, well,  _this_  is the next one, so she kind of had no choice in the matter. So Dinah shoved her into a sexy but flattering dress, curled her hair, and dragged her out of the door.

Currently, Camila is squished on the stained cushion of a couch, nursing a red cup of whatever Dinah handed her, watching a bunch of people she doesn't know get too drunk. She doesn't know how they even got invited to this party, because aside from maybe a few faces she recognizes from her classes, she has no idea who these people are. The drink that Dinah gave her is surprisingly tasty, with a strong fruity taste and a barely-there burn of alcohol.

Camila doesn't realize she had been taking bigger and bigger sips of it until she tips the cup back and nothing comes out. She decides to go find Dinah, because the couple sitting next to her is getting too close to each other for comfort, and she doesn't want to be here when they start getting each other off with her a foot away.

Wandering into the kitchen, she's surprised when she finds Dinah with two familiar faces, standing around a counter and giggling to each other.

"Chancho, there you are!" Dinah exclaims, tugging Camila closer to the group by her arm.

"Hi Camila! I didn't know you were here too!" Apparently tipsy Ally is even more excitable than sober Ally.

Camila laughs as she embraces the girl tightly. "Hey Ally, it's good to see you."

"Mila!" She hears, and feels more than sees Normani hug Camila from behind, sandwiching her against Ally.

"Oh my god, group hug!" Dinah practically screams as she launches herself onto the three girls, effectively smothering Camila completely. She's pretty sure no one on the outside can even see her, and that proves true when she hears a fourth voice nearby.

"What, how come I wasn't invited to this gay fest?"

"Get over here Lauser, Camila needs some of your Cuban loving."

Before Lauren or Camila have a chance to react, Dinah is pulling Lauren into the hug, trapping the girl in between herself and Camila. It's only then that Lauren even realizes Camila is part of it, her front pressed into Camila's right side.

This is like, super awkward, because Lauren's nose is only a few inches away from Camila's cheek. She can even feel her breath on the side of her face. Then all of a sudden, Camila feels  _something_ brush her ass, and she knows it's not Normani because the girls arms are wrapped around her and Ally, and she's 90% sure it was  _Lauren_ , but before she has a chance to say anything, Normani speaks up.

"Alright Dinah, can you like, let go now? I'm pretty sure we're suffocating poor Mila."

The embrace ends as quickly as it begins, and Camila doesn't really know what to think, but Ally's giggling and Normani's reaching for tequila and Lauren is looking everywhere but at her.

"Form a line, bitches. We're doing shots," Normani says, a wide grin on her face as she sets five shot glasses down onto the counter.

"Oh, no, I'm okay Normani. I don't really feel like getting shit-faced tonight," Camila protests, her hands raised up in front of her.

Dinah approaches them with a red solo cup in her hand, throwing her free arm around Camila. "Don't worry about her Mani. She's just going to be drinking the punch I've been making for her." She sends a wink to Normani who returns it, and Camila really wants to know what that's about, but before she can ask, Dinah is thrusting the full cup into Camila's face.

"Drink up, lightweight," Dinah orders as Camila grabs the cup. "I've got a few more of these with your name on them."

The only reason she's drinking them is because they taste really good, and there's hardly a taste of alcohol so they can't be that strong. Dinah is really good at mixing drinks (probably those bartending classes she took this past summer  _to prepare her for the lit college life_ and  _to get invites to all the parties_ ), so Camila doesn't have much of a problem finishing them.

She tips her head back at the same time Lauren throws back a shot.

~~

So like, Camila is positive of three things right now. One, Dinah is  _really_  good at making drinks. They're so fruity and tasty and they make Camila feel so good. Two, Camila kind of lost track of how many she had, but she thinks it's some number in the alphabet. No, wait, that doesn't sound right (she's not so sure about that one). The third thing, though, that she  _is_  sure of is that Lauren is really hot.

Has she mentioned that before?

No, but seriously. Lauren has the  _prettiest_  eyes Camila has ever seen. Sure, they could be classified as green, but they're so much more than that. The green is surrounded by a blueish-gray tint, and right before her pupil, there's a faint ring of amber.

And then Lauren's hair. Camila knows Lauren's natural hair color is brown, but the black just suits her  _so well_. And her hair always looks so soft and shiny and has just the right amount of volume to be effortlessly sexy and...

Camila wants to run her fingers through it.

Don't get her started on Lauren's lips. They're so full and plump and when they're lined with lipstick, maybe Camila wonders what it would be like to kiss it right off.

But she doesn't stay on that thought too long, because then she remembers about Lauren's nose ring. She used to think they were kind of tacky, but her mind is definitely changed now (Lauren could probably make a trash bag look good). Camila loves all of Lauren's piercings, actually. The girl only has a single hole in each lobe, but the double helix studs on her left ear look really cute, and Camila has thought about getting her own done before.

"Dinah, I want to get another piercing one day, will you come with me?" Camila pleads suddenly, placing a hand on the girl's arm. Then Camila's eyes drift to Lauren's tattooed arms, and Camila blurts something else out before Dinah has a chance to answer.

"Oh oh oh! Remember how badly I want to get a tattoo? Will you take me to get one soon?"

Dinah blinks, trying to process both questions in her drunk mind. "But Mila, I thought you said you were too scared to get a tattoo?"

Camila pouts. "I  _did_ , so that's why I need you to come with me. Please?"

"Sure, Chancho! I'll make sure your booty doesn't run away," Dinah giggles, suddenly grinning widely as she turns to the other girls, her last sentence reminding her of something. "Did you bitches know I'm the queen of twerking?" She asks rhetorically, clearly in the mood to dance. "I'm better than all of y'all."

Normani gasps, clearly offended. "Uh, girl, you better not have said what I think you just said."

Ally starts laughing uncontrollably from her spot on the secluded couch they took over. "Dance off!" Dinah and Normani take this seriously, and stand up from their seats to begin drunkenly dancing against the wall in front of the others. At this point, Ally is laughing so hard she's snorting, nearly falling off the couch in her hysterics.

Camila is about to start cheering them on when she feels an arm brush hers, and looks over to see Lauren occupying the spot Dinah previously vacated.

"Hiiiiii Lauren," Camila drawls out, leaning closer into the girl. Lauren grins at Camila, her face flushed a subtle red from the alcohol in her system. She's probably just as intoxicated as Camila is at this point.

"I love your tattoos. They're so cool," Camila continues, this time staring wide eyed at Lauren as if she's sharing some big secret (Camila always seemed to lose her filter when she had alcohol in her). Lauren smiles wider, stretching both her arms out in front of her.

"Thanks Camz. I think they're pretty cool too."

"Well I hope so! It would be bad if you didn't think your own tattoos were cool."

And for some reason, this is extremely funny to both of the girls, and they end up giggling into each other, minds too far gone to comprehend the situation.

There's a sudden shadow looming overhead and they both look up to see Dinah standing in front of them with a scowl on her face.

"Ralph, move over, you took my seat."

"Ralph?" Lauren questions, a puzzled look on her face.

"Yeah, you know, Ralph. Like, Ralph Lauren." Dinah is explaining with exaggerated hand gestures and nearly smacks Ally in the face when the girl stumbles too close to her.

"Oh, I've never heard of that one before."

Suddenly, Camila throws her arms around Lauren's entire body and pouts up at Dinah through her messy hair. "No! Go find another seat DJ. Lauren is staying here."

Dinah frowns for a moment, but decides to go crush Normani under her body weight instead.

There's a grin of triumph on Camila's face, but even though the moment has passed, she doesn't let go of the girl she's hugging.

"Wow Camz, you're like, super fucking warm," Lauren giggles out, her voice a slight pitch higher.

"Well, my koala hugs are even warmer." Then Camila proceeds to lift both legs onto the couch, turning towards Lauren and essentially sandwiching the girl between her arms and thighs.

"Whoa," Lauren breathes out. "You're right." She rests her hands on the leg thrown over her lap, rubbing her palms along the top of Camila's thigh and knee.

They spend another twenty minutes wrapped up in each other before Normani drags them both to dance with her on the makeshift dance floor. They're having fun and laughing way too much, the two older girls pressing in too close on either side of Camila because of the lack of space. Normani is facing Camila, her arms thrown up into the air and she shakes her body to the kick drum beat. Lauren's hands are loosely resting on Camila's hips from behind, ever so often grazing Camila's back with her front when she gets bumped into by another dancer.

If it weren't for her drunken haze, Camila might be able to acknowledge the fact that her and Lauren don't really like each other. But at this moment it's  _because_  of the alcohol that they're getting along so well. In fact, the thought that they aren't friends doesn't even cross her mind because  _Lauren is a lot of fun and she's a really cool person._

"Thanks Camila. You're really fun too," Lauren laughs into her ear.

Whoops.

Camila didn't even realize that she said that out loud to Lauren until the girl answers her, but she just shrugs and fully turns around in Lauren's arms, effectively blocking out Normani.

A song by The Weeknd comes on, and suddenly everyone's jumping around turns into a more sensual grinding. Lauren and Camila slow their dancing down, and if either girl were more sober they would probably realize they look a little too much like a couple right now.

Lauren's arms are now draped over Camila's shoulders, her wrists crossing behind Camila's neck, while Camila's arms are wrapped around Lauren's waist, her own fingertips coming dangerously close to brushing against Lauren's ass. Their bodies are pressed against each other, the sides of their heads resting against one another, and Camila can feel every time Lauren breathes out against her shoulder. Camila begins tracing the skin on Lauren's lower back, exposed due to her crop top, and she swears she feels goosebumps under her fingertips.

Lauren leans her head back to make eye contact with Camila, and she  _feels_  just as much as sees green eyes lock onto her, making Camila feel even more lightheaded than before. There's a brief moment where they're just staring at each other, neither one moving, blinking,  _breathing_ -

There's a hand grabbing Camila's arm and tugging her away, Dinah's words  _I'm thirsty, come do shots with me,_ barely registering because in the back of her mind, Camila is wondering what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted.

~~

Camila is curious as to why someone is doing construction work at this ungodly hour, but then she realizes that the jackhammering going on is in her head, not out loud. There's a steady  _thump thump thump_  behind her eyes, making it hurt too much to even try and open them. She didn't plan on getting shit-faced last night, but Dinah apparently fed her more alcohol than she realized. She finds herself getting angry at her best friend; this seems to be a growing trend.

_Dinah Jane, more like Dinah Fucking Pain in my ass._

Camila rolls over in bed, because while the last thing she wants to do is get up, she needs some painkillers in her system before she leaves a mess all over their room.

She's never thrown up after drinking before, but today could be a first.

When her eyes open as she sits up, Camila sees Dinah sprawled out on her bed across the room, stomach down, right side of her face smushed into the drool-covered pillow. She walks over to their "medicine cabinet" (which is really just a drawer stuffed with some Advil, cough medicine, a thermometer, and random band-aids and gauzes), locating the painkillers, and snatching two water bottles as she heads to Dinah's side of the room. 

After popping two for herself and draining the entire bottle, Camila drops some pills and the spare water onto the bedside table for her friend, knowing she'll need it when she wakes up. She checks her phone, seeing a text from Ally asking if they want to grab some brunch. Camila fires off a  _sure, we'll be there_ , and decides to start getting ready, but not before nudging the trash can just a little bit closer to Dinah's bed.

She doesn't want to accidentally step into the girl's vomit.

Again.

(Don't get her started on that.)

~~

They're a little late to the diner because  _someone_  took too long getting ready  _again_. Normani and Lauren are seated next to each other in one booth, so Dinah and Camila squish into the opposite one with Ally.

"You guys look as bad as I feel," Dinah greets, her usual grin looking tired and lazy.

Normani wants to roll her eyes, but that would hurt way too much, so she settles for waving her hand around instead. "Fuck you Dinah Jane for being so good at making drinks."

This time, Dinah's smile looks a little wider.

"So, what are you guys getting?" Ally asks, glancing down at the menu in front of her.

"Waffles for sure."

"Definitely waffles."

Lauren and Camila both answer at the same time, eyes locking for a brief moment as they're sitting right across from each other, before quickly looking away, a slight blush on Camila's cheeks. Nobody else seems to notice the awkward tension, for which they're both grateful.

(Yes, they both remember the evening before, in which they were way too cuddly with one another.)

"Mm," Dinah mumbles, interrupting their flashbacks. "I always know what I want when I come to a diner. Four eggs, four slices of bacon, two sausage links, and two pieces of toast."

Normani grimaces from across Dinah. "That sounds so fattening and disgusting. I'll take one too."

The two girls share a grin and a high five, and from that point on the conversation flows easily.

Camila ends up eating her meal plus half of Normani's, Dinah glares at anyone who even breathes in the direction of her food, and Lauren and Ally share their waffles and country fried steak between each other.

"Shit," Lauren speaks up without having been spoken to for the first time the entire meal. "Is it everyone in California or are you two just bottomless pits?" She chuckles lightly, not the only one noticing that Dinah and Camila just consumed their body weight in breakfast foods.

Dinah smiles back, slurping on her orange juice. "Well I am taller than all of y'all, so I do need to eat more. Mila, on the other hand. I don't know about her. She's just some weird freak of nature."

Ally sits up a little and chimes in. "I don't get how you do it Camila! You're like, one of the tiniest people here. Where does all that food go?"

"Tiny? You're one to talk, Ally," Normani snorts out.

"Um, duh, all the food she eats go straight to her ass. Haven't you seen it?" Dinah says, ignoring the shove from Camila, and Ally's little whine from Normani's comment.

"Oh, I certainly have," Lauren breathes out, completely unaware of Dinah and Camila's wide eyes on her. Ally and Normani are too busy bickering over Ally's height to have noticed Lauren's accidental slip.

When Lauren finally snaps out of her trance, she looks up only to notice two sets of brown eyes trained on her in shock (Camila) and mischief (Dinah). Her pale face flushes a deep pink and she seems to shrink into the booth, avoiding their gazes.

"Must be the Cuban genes. Right Lauren?" Dinah is such a little shit and Camila doesn't know why she puts up with her. Camila wishes her eyes had lasers, because then Dinah would have two holes in her head. But the loud hole on the front of Dinah's face already causes enough trouble, so Camila thinks that maybe that wouldn't be such a good idea.

"Wh-what? Excuse me?" Lauren's cheeks are still pink and her eyes are still wide, wanting to be anywhere but in this situation.

"Please, girl," Dinah says, a hand help up for emphasis. "I've seen your booty too. Even I'm jealous of the junk you two carry behind you. And I don't get jealous." She flips her blonde hair with her hand and it smacks Camila in the face.

Camila is too busy removing strands of hair from her mouth to notice Lauren snickering at her right before she replies to Dinah.

"Well, uh, thank you, I think?" Lauren shrugs. "Must be the Cuban genes," she repeats Dinah's earlier words.

Dinah smirks at Lauren, then at Camila, and she's just about to open her mouth when Camila kicks her calf under the table, which  _somehow_  works in actually shutting the girl up (Camila has yet to figure out a long-term effective solution to quieting Dinah Jane).

"You guys ready to go?" Ally asks as their receipts arrive back at the table, her and Normani completely oblivious to what just happened.

Lauren and Camila, eager to escape the awkward situation Dinah created, quickly slide out of the booths since they both took the end seats, which only leads to them standing face to face at the end of the table. They make uncomfortable eye contact and quickly turn away in embarrassment. Camila just  _knows_  Dinah saw it happen, and she has no doubt she is going to get questioned later for their odd behavior.

She wouldn't even know what to say though, because in all honesty, she doesn't understand it herself.

How did they go from hating each other to acting  _so awkward_  together?

~~

"So, Chancho. Want to explain?"

Camila knew it. She should be a detective. Or maybe a fortune teller. Or maybe she's Raven Baxter and she actually  _can_  see into the future.

"Explain what?" She plays dumb.

Dinah rolls her eyes. "Come on now."

She knows exactly what Dinah is talking about.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Well, since you're  _so_  forgetful, I guess I'll have to painfully remind you of all the awkward that happened at brunch today, hm?" Dinah takes a deep breath, completely ready to launch into today's events just to get Camila to talk.

Camila stands up from her bed quickly, her hands waving frantically in front of her. "No no no please don't. I... I don't want to think about how awful it was," she finishes with a groan as she sinks back down onto her bed, head cradled in her hands.

Crossing their shared room, Dinah sits herself down next to Camila, putting an arm around the girl's shoulders.

"Seriously Mila, what is going on with you two? First you can't stand each other, next thing you're feeling each other up at the party, and then suddenly you're acting like two fourteen year olds who just had their first kiss and don't know how to act around each other."

Camila looks up at Dinah with surprise in her eyes. "You noticed us last night?"

"I'm pretty sure the entire  _party_  noticed how the two of you were. But I just figured you didn't remember it, so I didn't bring it up."

"I wish I didn't remember it," Camila groans out. She feels Dinah pull her in closer, grateful for the affection.

"Want to tell me what's going on between you two?"

"I honestly don't even know. It's been such a roller coaster ride with Lauren." There's a brief pause while Dinah thinks of a question.

"Well, why did you two hate each other at first?"

Fiddling with the ties on her pants, Camila shrugs lightly with a sigh. "We  _literally_  bumped into each other the first day here. The day we moved in," Camila clarifies. "She was in a pissy mood and I was so stressed and we just snapped at each other for no reason. And then every time we saw each other after that, we were always glaring and stuff. I don't even know."

Dinah hums, softly stroking Camila's arm. "And what changed at the party?"

Camila scoffs. "We were drunk."

"And then you both remembered it all this morning, hence the awkwardness," Dinah finishes up the recount, feeling more than seeing Camila's confirming nod.

"You like her," Dinah states bluntly.

Camila almost falls off the bed with how quickly she protests. "No!" She blushes hard. "No, no, I don't like her like that," she explains a little more calmly.

With how much Dinah rolls her eyes, Camila wonders if they're going to get stuck in the back of her head. "Okay fine whatever, you're  _attracted_  to her. You're  _interested_  in her. You think she's hot, and you wouldn't mind getting a piece of her Cuban ass."

(Jesus, this girl has less of a filter  _sober_  than Camila does  _drunk_.)

"Dinah!  _Stop_." Camila is not above pleading at this point. "But yeah, yeah I am. Attracted to her, that is. Not the ass part. Well I mean, she has a nice ass, but-" Her cheeks are redder than Dinah's sheets at this point.

There's a smirk on Dinah's face, but she ignores Camila's rambling. "So then like... what's the problem?"

"Uhhhh, what do you mean 'what's the problem'?"

That's the third time Dinah's rolled her eyes in as many minutes. "Let her know. The girl is obviously into you too, based on how she was practically eating your ass with her mind at brunch today."

"No Dinah, that's not how it works- I can't just do that- we don't work that way-" Camila pauses because all the thoughts running through her head are starting to make her headache come back. "We just don't get along. We have to basically force ourselves to be civil enough with each other when the rest of you are around. She's too 'assholey' and I'm too anti-asshole."

Dinah stands up from the bed with a frown on her face. "If you start giving me that sixth sense shit I'm go-"

"It's a real thing! Just because you're jealous you don't have it- hey! Don't walk away from me! Dinah!"

Whatever. It's totally legit. Dinah is just jealous. Dinah  _can_  get jealous. Camila has the hair in her mouth to prove it.

~~

For the next two months, things continue on in pretty much the same way. Except for the fact that Lauren and Camila stay away from alcohol when they're around each other.

But apart from that, they don't cause any trouble in the group, choosing to limit the interactions between themselves to  _only if necessary_.

It keeps the peace amongst the girls, and nobody gets hurt.

Lauren is her quiet self, Dinah teases Camila relentlessly when no one is listening, and Camila stares at Lauren's tattoos whenever possible. Normani and Ally do  _Normani and Ally_  things, and everyone is happy.

So what if Camila finds herself admiring Lauren's gentle smile a little more, or tuning her ears to Lauren whenever the girl speaks, or remembering the littlest things about her? It doesn't mean anything. She's just learning things about her friends (and not-friend).

It's totally normal.

Lauren is still an asshole, and Camila still hates assholes.

~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case you missed it before, you can also read this story on wattpad. go follow me there at champagnetoast. i'm uploading converted camren one shots that won't be posted here so you'll only be able to read them on wattpad. also, i already have this entire story mapped out, so there shouldn't be more than a few days' delay between each update. it's just a matter of me finding enough time to type it out. the only thing i'm not sure about is if i'll include smut or not. i know you horny fuckers would want that, but my writing is still very rusty (i haven't written smut in a good three to four years). but i guess we'll see when the time comes (or doesn't. ha).
> 
> https://www.wattpad.com/user/champagnetoast


	3. Chapter 3

Camila hates sand.

Well, that's not entirely true. She loves tanning on it and how it feels in between her toes. But she hates how it gets in absolutely  _everything_ , and how it makes her hands and feet feel dusty, and when the sun heats it up and the sand burns any skin that comes into contact with it.

But she really loves the beach as a whole, so it's worth it.

Ally piled everyone into her little Mini Cooper Countryman (fitting car for her, if you ask Camila),  _somehow_  crammed their beach chairs, umbrella, and cooler into the trunk, and drove the five of them to the local beach.

It's a surprisingly hot day for the end of October, the temperature somewhere around ninety degrees. That probably explains why it seems as if every single soul in California decided to go to the beach too.

The girls are lugging their belongings through the crowd, attempting to find an empty spot that  _isn't_  next to a bunch of screaming kids or half naked old men with swimming trunks that are too small. They finally find a suitable place (meaning, they settle for what they can get) and begin setting up, fastening the umbrella into the sand and placing the beach chairs and mats nearby or underneath.

Camila stares out over the water, closing her eyes behind her sunglasses and enjoying the gentle breeze blowing her hair around. She turns around when she hears some commotion to find Normani and Dinah already stripped out of their clothes, and nearly falls on her ass when they run by her, racing towards the ocean. Ally follows after them, but a lot more slowly and calmly.

Moving over to her bag, Camila removes her sunglasses, locates her sunscreen, turns around, and promptly drops it.

Only a few feet away from her, Lauren is pulling her beach dress over her head, revealing smooth skin only barely covered by a black and white bikini. It turns out Lauren's tattoos continue onto the backs of her shoulders and down her right side, stopping halfway down her ribcage. As her hair gets swept up in the fabric, Camila catches a quick glimpse of a lone dragonfly on the back of Lauren's neck.

Once the dress is completely off, Lauren folds it up and leans down to shove it into her bag, seemingly unaware of Camila's blatant staring. She notices the bottle laying near Camila's feet and grabs it while she's leaning down, bending back up and coming face to face with Camila, who suddenly snaps out of her trance when she sees Lauren's eyes.

"Did you drop this?" Lauren asks with a raised eyebrow at Camila's reddening face.

"Uh, yes, yeah, I did. Yeah I did."

"Are you going to take it or..."

Camila shakes her head, willing her cheeks to just stop blushing. "Right, yeah. Thanks, yeah."

Lauren hands the bottle back over, nods her head once, and grabs her own sunscreen from the outside pocket of her bag.

_Stupid stupid stupid stupid! You're such a stuttering dumbass._

Camila doesn't want to keep standing there talking to herself, so she places the lotion on top of a beach chair and removes her tank top, draping it over the same chair. She's tugging her Banana Republic shorts down her legs when she glances up, and notices green eyes definitely  _not_  looking at her face. They're trailing up and down Camila's body, eyeing the patterned bikini, and Camila feels a sense of excitement knowing that Lauren is affected by her state of undress too.

So maybe she decides to exploit it. And some of her assets.

Slowly folding her shorts, she grabs her top from the chair, turning around towards her bag. With the knowledge that Lauren's eyes are still trained on her, the sunscreen she was spreading on her arm forgotten, Camila bends over, maybe giving a little more ass than appropriate at a public beach. She takes her time shoving her clothes into the bag, deciding to also search for a hair tie.

Camila can't  _see_  Lauren from this position, but she doesn't  _hear_  any movement happening behind her, so she's fairly sure green eyes are still focused on her. Finally straightening up, Camila decides she's not quite done teasing yet.

She turns to face Lauren again, being sure not to make eye contact, and stretches her arms above her head to begin gathering brown hair in a ponytail. It doesn't usually take her this long to put her hair up, but this situation is too exciting to pass up.

When Camila  _finally_  looks at Lauren, the girl's head snaps away so quickly Camila is worried she's given herself whiplash. 

Maybe Camila smirks to herself. Let her have her fun.

Making sure to avoid any more eye contact, the two slather themselves with sunscreen, hyper-aware of the other girl and the awkward air surrounding them.

Camila finishes up first, and she's about to head for the water when she notices Lauren struggling to spread the sunscreen on her back.

Now, she knows about this sort of situation. She's seen enough movies and read enough books to recognize it. Camila really wants to avoid any more awkwardness, but Lauren is the palest out of the five of them, and she can tell the girl burns easily. So, against her better judgment, Camila approaches Lauren from behind, leaning forward slightly so the girl can hear her.

"Hey Lauren, do you need, uh, any help?"

There's a quiet squeak of surprise, and Camila's not sure if it's from the proximity or the question.

"Um, I-"

"It's just, I know how much sunburn fucking sucks, and you're missing like, half your back, so..." Camila interrupts then trails off, feeling the sudden urge to explain herself.

Lauren pauses for a few seconds, and it bothers Camila that she can't see Lauren's facial expressions.

"Sure."

"Huh?"

Turning her head, Lauren glances at Camila. "Sure, I'd appreciate your help."

Camila's eyes widen and she gulps, not thinking this far ahead. She's going to have to touch Lauren's bare back. She's not ready for this.

"Okay," Camila gulps again. "Can I get a squirt of the sunscreen?" Camila holds her palm out, and Lauren reaches up to squeeze a blob onto the waiting hand.

She lathers it in her hands for a few seconds, trying to delay the inevitable. But it's all unavoidable, so, slowly, ever so slowly, she places her hands on Lauren's back, flattening them against the girl's skin.

Camila doesn't miss the way Lauren tenses up.

Rubbing her hands in a circular motion, Camila notices just how warm Lauren's skin is. And soft. It's so warm and soft and smooth and she can't help but appreciate how her fingertips glide over the surface.

Lauren already applied the sunscreen to her lower back, so Camila doesn't have to go below the bikini string, but she's still getting such a rush from just this little area.

Her hands slide upwards, rubbing over Lauren's shoulder tattoos, and Camila feels a twist in her gut that she's  _touching_  them, sober, and Lauren is letting her. She still has some extra sunscreen so Camila covers Lauren's neck with her palm and massages the lotion into that area, thumb brushing over the dragonfly for a brief moment.

At this point, Lauren has gone completely still, and goosebumps are starting to rise on her skin under Camila's hands. She feels the shiver run down Lauren's spine, and it's as if through the contact, it transfers over to Camila and travels down her own back.

Camila's hands aren't even rubbing anymore, instead just laying flat against Lauren's shoulders. Neither girl is moving, the outside noise and commotion not registering in their little bubble. All Camila is aware of is Lauren's warm skin, the fruity smell of her shampoo mixing with the salty sea air, the way the white bikini tie contrasts with the colorful ink, how her black hair is lightly fluttering in the wind. It's overwhelming, everything Camila is feeling, and it finally brings her to her senses enough for her to drop her hands and step away from the girl.

It's enough for them to come back into reality, and when Lauren turns to put the bottle away, Camila can see a light pink dusting her cheeks. She's clenching and unclenching her fist in what appears to be nervousness and her other hand runs itself through black hair.

When Lauren shuffles past Camila to head to the water, her green eyes find Camila's brown ones for a second, and no moment before has ever felt more awkward than this one.

Camila forces herself not to watch Lauren walk away, because once she does, she won't be able to stop.

She doesn't join them in the water.

~~

Later on, when everyone has gone swimming at least once, and the sunscreen has almost certainly washed off completely, Lauren asks Normani to help her reapply some on her back.

Camila doesn't find Dinah's bare back nearly as enticing as Lauren's.

~~

They've been at the beach for a few hours now, having just finished a late lunch. The food in Camila's stomach is making her drowsy, so she claims one of the mats and lies down on it. She could go for a nice tanning nap right about now.

She's almost asleep when she hears Normani's inaudible mumbling followed by Lauren's much louder near-whining.

"Seriously Mani? Why the fuck are you being so difficult?"

"I called dibs on the chair first, Laur. There's a free mat next to Mila. You can use that one," comes Normani's much more level-headed reply. Lauren almost sounds like a child throwing a tantrum. The huff she lets out doesn't help.

Camila keeps her eyes closed, sensing Lauren's shadow when the girl gets close. She hears Lauren moving the mat around, but there's not a whole lot of extra room due to the umbrella and Ally and Dinah occupying the other two beach chairs.

As Lauren settles down onto the mat, she accidentally brushes Camila's arm, and it takes everything in Camila not to react to the touch. Ever since the sunscreen incident, she's been hyper-aware of everything Lauren says and does. She doesn't know how she feels about that, and doesn't want anyone knowing about it either. Especially when she can't explain it herself.

Camila forces herself to ignore the presence next to her, but it's like Lauren gave her a shot of adrenaline, and she can't seem to fall asleep anymore.

Startling everyone, Camila shoots up from her spot, throwing her sunglasses into her bag.

"I'm going for a swim," she announces to no one in particular. She doesn't question why Lauren has an expression on her face like she just got caught looking at something she shouldn't have.

Camila can't handle these confusing emotions, can't handle being near Lauren right now. When she's waist high in the water, she submerges herself completely, and wishes the tight feeling in her chest could wash away as easily as the sand on her body.

~~

They're at another party, a week and a few days after their beach outing. Camila has been burying herself in schoolwork just to distract from whatever she's feeling. She's been extra pissy lately, and Dinah, chalking it up to her period, convinced Camila to attend this party just to let loose a little.

Camila made Dinah pinky promise not to get her drunk this time.

She's nursing a beer that's too dry for her taste, deliberately choosing a drink she doesn't really like so she won't finish it too quickly.

Dinah and Lauren are dancing with each other, Normani and Ally are talking to some classmates, and Camila is hiding herself in a corner so as not to be disturbed. She didn't really want to come tonight, but she feels a little bad for how moody she's been with Dinah, so she didn't protest when Dinah insisted Camila attend.

She's not as dressed up as last time, deciding on an off the shoulder blouse, skinny jeans, and some cute ankle boots.

The soda Camila drank before they left is making itself known, so she pushes her way through the crowd in the direction of the bathroom. Grateful that it's actually unoccupied, she makes her business quick, in and out in less than four minutes.

As she's rounding the corner in the hallway, Camila feels herself bump into someone, nearly dropping the beer bottle in the process.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going," Camila apologizes quickly, all too aware of what happened last time she ran into someone.

She looks up at the girl, who is taller than her (probably by a lot more, but the heels Camila is wearing lessens the difference), long brown hair done up into a braid, and warm brown eyes, with a smile to match.

"Don't worry about it." The girl pauses for a moment, looking a little shy. "To be honest, I'm kind of glad you did. I've been wanting to talk to you all night."

Camila blinks, because  _whoa_ , this was unexpected. She doesn't really know what to say.

The girl isn't undeterred by Camila's silence. "My name is Hailee, and I just wanted to say that I think you're extremely gorgeous."

Okay, whoa, this was  _really_  unexpected. Camila feels her face flushing like it always does when she gets complimented.

"Wow, um, thanks. My name is Camila, by the way."

"Camila," Hailee grins. "I like that. Pretty name for a pretty girl."

Jesus, she's charming  _and_  she pronounced Camila's name correctly on the first try. What is even happening?

She feels her blush grow deeper. "Thanks."

"So, are you here alone, or did you come with someone?" Camila can tell Hailee wants to continue the conversation, and she surprisingly wants to let her.

"Oh, I just came with some friends," Camila explains, waving her hand in their general direction. "They're off doing whatever, but I'm not much of a party person to be honest."

They move closer to the wall when someone wants to pass by, and when Camila looks back at Hailee, the girl's smile has grown wider.

"Me neither! My roommate dragged me here, and if it weren't for you, I probably would have left already." She scratches the back of her neck in slight embarrassment.

Camila just finds it endearing. 

She's about to reply when someone else pushes by the two girls. "Hey, wanna go talk over there?" Camila asks, gesturing towards her corner from before. "I feel like we're in the way standing here."

Hailee nods with a smile and lets Camila lead the way. They turn to face each other and lean against the wall to get comfortable.

For the next half hour, conversation flows easily between the two, and Camila finds herself laughing more in the last thirty minutes than in the last several days.

Sometime around the ten minute mark, Dinah had nodded towards her from the dance floor with a smile that Camila returned, and she had even shared quick grins with Ally and Normani.

Lauren, though...

Every time Lauren looks in their direction (which is a  _lot_ ), she's glaring, or frowning, or just generally looking displeased (similar to her  _face_  when they met that second time). Hailee doesn't notice because she's got her back to the crowd, but Camila keeps seeing it. It's frustrating her (similar to her  _feelings_  when they met that second time). She doesn't know if Lauren realizes she's not being subtle, or if she just doesn't care, but Camila has had enough of it.

She needs to get her mind off of Lauren. This Hailee girl is sweet and kind and  _not_  assholey, exactly what Camila is into, and she's showing genuine interest.

"Hey, how about you and I leave this shitty party and grab like, ice cream or something?"

Hailee immediately looks excited. "Yes, oh my god, ice cream sounds so much better than cheap beer right now."

Camila swallows the last of her warm beer, throwing the bottle away before making her way over to Dinah. She tells the girl she's heading out with her new friend and ignores Dinah's suggestive eyebrows.

As Hailee leads the way towards the exit, Camila turns around only to see Lauren's deep scowl following them the whole way out. She doesn't even notice Camila's eyes on her, she's so busy with her glaring, so when Camila faces forward and makes her way through the door, she doesn't look back.

~~

Ice cream goes extremely well. Hailee is just as nice as she came across at the party, even more so when it's just the two of them. They ended up staying out later than the four who stayed at the party, laughing, goofing off, generally just getting along and having fun. Before their evening ends, they exchange numbers and promises to meet up again soon.

Hailee leaves a sweet kiss on her cheek and it has Camila blushing all the way back to her dorm.

Dinah of course grills Camila on what happened during her night, but she merely explains that they hung out and got ice cream. Dinah calls her lame and rolls back over to sleep.

Twenty minutes later, Camila is climbing into bed, checking her phone one last time before going to sleep. She sees a text from Hailee and a couple of snapchats from Dinah.

Opening the text first, Camila grins when she reads the message.

**Hope you got home safe. I had lots of fun tonight with you :) looking forward to next time!**

Camila types back a  _I did get home safe, and I also had a lot of fun! We should make plans soon!_

She then opens snapchat, pressing her finger on Dinah's name. The warm feeling inside is soon replaced by those confusing emotions she had been experiencing lately (although, in reality, the warm feeling was just covering those emotions up, not taking their place) when she sees the snaps.

They're of Dinah and Lauren (and sometimes Normani and Ally too) making goofy, sexy, cute, and happy faces at the camera. Lauren's eyes still look so bright through the screen, and her lips seem extra pouty. The sight of it all is making Camila's stomach flip, and she has to restrain herself from taking screenshots just so she can stare at Lauren longer (she may or may not be hoping Dinah saved the pictures on her own phone).

Locking her phone, she places it facedown on her bedside table. Camila doesn't know why she can't get this annoying, frustrating, beautiful, fascinating girl out of her thoughts.

Lauren has completely taken over Camila's mind, and all she's done is confused the shit out of Camila.

~~

The five of them are all hanging out in Dinah and Camila's dorm room, just finishing up the ending of the first Bring It On (because it was Camila's turn to choose the movie). Dinah had teased Camila, saying that  _Mila chose this movie because she loves watching the girls move in their little cheer uniforms_. The pillow to Dinah's face didn't deter her from embarrassing her best friend.

Camila had sat on the floor, leaning against her bed next to Dinah, while Ally sat behind her on the bed, Normani next to her, and Lauren at the end. Basically, Camila and Lauren sat as far away from each other as possible.

During the majority of the movie, Camila had noticed a lot of movement in Lauren's direction, and at one point she heard Normani snap out a  _quit fucking staring!_

The end credits finally roll and Camila stretches her arms above her head, glancing to her right to see Normani looking pissed off and Lauren with a grim look on her face. She's not sure what's going on with the two, and she's doesn't know if it's in her place to ask (at this point they've completely accepted Dinah and Camila into their circle. They're in the group chat and everything).

Dinah catches her staring in Lauren's direction and nudges Camila in the ribs.

"Something over there you like, Chancho?" Dinah asks quietly with a smirk.

Camila stands up, tugging Dinah with her over to the girl's bed and flopping down on it.

"Shhhh they'll hear you!" This seems eerily similar to the first time they all hung out. "I'm just wondering if they're okay. It sounded like they were arguing or something during the movie."

Dinah glances over, notices Normani and Lauren talking in hushed whispers. Ally is lying on her back, her phone hovering over her face.

"Is that what all that noise was? Huh. I wonder if they're having a fight."

Suddenly, Normani stands up, Lauren's arm grasped tightly in her hand.

"Thanks so much for the movie guys. We had a lot of fun, but Lauren has an assignment she really needs to get done, and  _someone_  has to push her to finish it." Normani rolls her eyes good-naturedly, but Camila can tell she's still upset.

"Aw, alright, well thanks for hanging. We'll see you around." Camila is grateful that Dinah answered for them.

She glances at Lauren, sees the girl grimacing, but she's pretty sure it's not from the death grip Normani has on her arm.

Tugging Lauren towards the door, Normani doesn't let go, and Lauren lets out a soft  _thanks_  to Camila and Dinah before the door shuts behind them.

Once it's quiet, Ally sits up, looking at Camila excitedly.

"Can we watch the second one? I've never seen these movies before!"

Camila grins, because while she's confused and worried about whatever is going on with Normani and Lauren, it's none of her concern.

~~

"Would it be bad if I dropped out of school and moved to the forest to live like the family on Alaskan Bush People?"

Normani snorts, not glancing up from her textbook. "No offense Mila, but I don't think you would survive in the forest."

Camila gasps, throwing a crumpled up piece of notepaper at Normani's head. "I would prove you wrong but it's getting too cool at night to sleep outside."

This time Normani looks up as she laughs. "I rest my case."

Sticking her tongue out at Normani, Camila looks back down at her homework, trying to focus on the task. Her concentration is broken when Normani's phone starts vibrating.

"Hey Lo," she answers quietly.

Camila can only hear faint mumbling on the other end, the call too faint for her to make out what's being said.

"I'm studying right now wit-"

"I'm in the library-"

"Okay see you soo-"

Normani pulls the phone away from her ear with a frown, placing it back onto the table.

Studying Normani's face, Camila furrows her eyebrows in concern. "Everything okay?"

"I don't know. Lauren kept interrupting me. She wanted to know where I was."

"Is she coming here?" Camila asked.

"Yeah, I think so. She was acting so weird. That was like the shortest phone conversation I've ever had," Normani says, picking her pen back up as she folds a leg under her.

"Huh," Camila says in thought. "I wonder if she's okay."

Normani shrugs. "Who knows with that girl."

Five minutes later, Camila hears the sound of combat boots walking along the carpeted floor towards them. Normani looks to her left to see Lauren, but Camila can't see her yet because their table is half hidden behind a wall.

"Mani, thank god, I need to-" Lauren abruptly stops when she arrives at their table and sees Camila seated across from Normani.

"I tried to tell you I was here with Mila," Normani says to Lauren, shrugging quickly. "Anyways, what's wrong?"

Lauren looks a little anxious, her green eyes wide as a hand runs through her hair.

"Uh, um, well, I just... uh, needed a study buddy." Her gaze is darting back and forth between Camila and Normani.

"Are you sure?" Normani asks with an eyebrow raised. "You seemed like you had a pretty urgent issue to talk about."

Lauren shakes her head too quickly. "No, no, no issue to talk about." She glances at Camila again.

Squinting her eyes in thought, Camila looks at the two girls in front of her. "If you guys need to talk about something, I'll give you some privacy." She starts to gather her homework and study materials before Lauren stops her.

"No!" she practically shouts, way too loud for a library. Lauren looks thoroughly embarrassed. "I mean, no, that's okay. Don't worry about it. I was hoping I could study with you guys." Lauren bites her lip, and Camila can't help that her eyes zero in on the action.  _She_  wants to be the one doing that and-

_Nope. Nope nope nope. Shut down that thought. Shut it down right now. Stop that. Bad Camila._

She looks down at her books, hoping her hair hides her red cheeks.

Normani speaks up. "Uh, sure Lo. Grab a seat."

When Camila looks back up, Normani is staring at Lauren, probably curious as to why she's acting so strange, but she figures Normani will ask Lauren about it later, when Camila's not around.

It's still not her concern, and she's just glad it has nothing to do with her.

~~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll probably just keep repeating this, but i have converted camren one shots on my wattpad that aren't being uploaded here. head on over there if you want to read them (you could also follow me. that would be super cool). also, surprise, i finished this chapter a lot quicker than i anticipated. probably due to the fact that i completely neglected my homework assignments. oh well. my priorities are clearly in check. i feel exactly how camila feels about college. i don't know why i keep going back. anyways, i know this chapter was probably frustrating, but you'll love chapter four. i have a lot planned for it.  
> kudos and comments are greatly appreciated.
> 
> https://www.wattpad.com/user/champagnetoast


	4. Chapter 4

Camila hates assholes.

She was on her way back from a nearby In-N-Out Burger, picking up dinner for their weekly movie night, when some  _jerk_  bumped into her on the sidewalk, making her spill two of the sodas and drop her iced tea. The lady didn't apologize or even look back, continuing down the sidewalk with her phone pressed against her ear. She had to go back to the fast food restaurant, embarrassingly asking for refills- which of course they delivered without a problem -but douchebags like that piss her the fuck off. 

So when she barges through her dorm room door, she doesn't even see that their guests are already there (which is her fault really, because she lost track of time and it's fifteen minutes past the time they were supposed to arrive).

"Holy  _fucking_  shit I am ready to tear someone's tits off and force feed them to wolves," Camila nearly yells, dropping the fast food on a nearby table and  _still_  not noticing the extra three people in the room.

Dinah barks out a laugh from somewhere behind Camila. "Well you sure as hell ain't touching mine."

Camila scoffs. "I was talking about angrily ripping, not touching. If I were touching anyone's boobs, you and I both know it would be Lauren's."

She doesn't think it's a weird thing to say to Dinah, because they've actually been joking a lot together about the weird tension lately, just the two of them. Camila finds it's easier to keep her sanity that way.

There's absolute silence behind Camila and she finds that a little odd, so she turns around only to see Normani's wide eyes, Ally's shocked expression, Dinah struggling to hold laughter in, and Lauren's extremely flushed cheeks.

Camila is pretty sure her own face is redder though.

She stumbles over words that don't exist, at a complete loss of what to say. Her jaw is flapping uselessly and strangled sounds are coming out of the back of her throat.

"Funny joke Walz!" Dinah rushes out far too quickly, forcing a couple of fake laughs.

"Ye-yeah I was just messing around. I've been told that my jokes are pretty terrible though, so, um, I'm sorry if I offended anyone." Camila's eyes are glancing at everyone except Lauren, because she seriously can't stand to look at the girl right now. She might actually combust from the embarrassment.

Normani slowly turns her head to look at Lauren, only raising a single eyebrow, then returns her gaze to Camila. "It's ok Mila. We can tell you were a little, uh,  _off_ , when you barged in. Everything okay?"

Camila is beyond grateful for Normani right now, trying to steer the attention off her possibly most humiliating moment ever.

"I'm, uh, okay now, yeah. Some asshole just made me, um, spill our drinks because she bumped into me and uh... yeah it pissed me off but I'm better now. Yup, all better." There's so much stuttering and Camila just wants to go die in a hole right now.

She's just about to turn and flee the situation (maybe move to Alaska? See if the Brown family will take her in) when Dinah stands up, clapping her hands loudly to get everyone's attention.

"Well, I'm starving. Let's eat shall we?"

Ally has been extremely quiet this entire time, her focus switching between Lauren and Camila, her facial expression somewhere along the lines of piecing something together. Camila prays she doesn't figure  _whatever this is_  out.

(What even is it?)

~~

"Oh yeah, by the way Dinah, before I forget, we have to leave here by one thirty. The place is about a half hour away."

Everyone has almost forgotten about what happened earlier (not really), so for the most part everything is pretty chill.

"What place?"

Camila stares at Dinah. "You're kidding me right? Remember? I told you last week? My tattoo appointment?"

"You're getting a tattoo?"

"Oh shit I totally forgot!"

Normani and Dinah both speak at the same time, but Camila is more focused on the fact that her  _best friend_  forgot about her planned appointment.

"I'm so so sorry Mila! I can't go! One of my classes got rescheduled so we have to make it up tomorrow. I really can't miss this class," Dinah apologizes genuinely. And really, Camila can't be mad because Dinah is finally taking her education seriously, and she always had a problem with that in high school.

Camila sighs, waving her hand in the air. "It's alright, D. I understand." She glances over at Normani and Ally. "Would any of you be able to go?" Camila asks hopefully.

Ally cringes slightly, looking apologetic. "I totally would but Troy is driving up tomorrow, and he's only here for twenty four hours so I want to make the most of it. I'm really sorry."

"No seriously it's fine Ally. I'm not going to force you away from your boyfriend. You guys make the most of that time, hm?" Camila smirks and winks at Ally, who returns it with a smile and shake of her head.

Normani sits there for a moment, looking deep in thought. "I think I can go Mila. I don't have classes tomorrow and... shit, wait. Aw fuck," she curses, hanging her head back. "I have a dentist's appointment around noon and a check-up at the doctor's at three. I won't be able to make it either."

Camila scowls. "Why do you have all your appointments at once?"

"I like to get them all out of the way in one shot. I've always done that," Normani explains.

Sighing in defeat, Camila nods. "Well, thanks for trying guys. I guess it won't be too bad. I'm just a little worried, is all, and I'm not so good with needles so it-"

"I'll go."

Everyone's head swivels towards Lauren, but she's staring straight at Camila.

"You, you'll what?" Camila asks in shock (she's sure she's not the only surprised one).

"I don't have anything going on tomorrow. I can go with you." Lauren shrugs. "If you want," she adds quieter.

Camila is sitting there with her mouth slightly open until Dinah nudges her and she snaps her jaw closed. "Really? That... would be really cool Lauren. Thanks." She smiles as genuinely as she can at the girl, because this is the first time tonight they've actually looked at each other.

Lauren offers a small smile, nodding her head slightly before resuming picking at her nails.

Normani gently nudges Lauren with a little grin on her face, which Lauren returns, but Camila forces herself not to read into it too much.

She doesn't want to assume things.

~~

They decide to meet at the tattoo parlor because Lauren was off campus earlier that morning running some errands, so there's no point in her traveling back just to leave again. Camila is admittedly sort of nervous, because someone is about to run a needle over her skin for who knows how long and it's freaking her out a little (the fact that the two of them have never hung out  _alone_ , and  _willingly_  no less, and are about to definitely doesn't contribute to her nerves).

She gets there before Lauren which is understandable, because it's only one thirty-five and her appointment is at two. But then Lauren surprises her by appearing only five minutes later, twenty minutes earlier than their agreed time.

They don't do anything when they first make eye contact, but then Camila offers a shy wave and smile from her seat, so Lauren takes the friendly greeting and sits herself down in the chair next to Camila.

"Hey, you're here early," Lauren says with a small smile as she sets her bag down between her feet.

"I could say the same for you," Camila returns. Then it's awkward again.  _God, everything is so awkward with them._

Lauren clears her throat. "So, are you nervous? First tattoo and all?"

Scratching at her neck, Camila nods slowly. "I'm not going to lie and say I'm not. I mean, I'm excited, but definitely freaking out a little."

There's a sympathetic look on Lauren's face as she gazes back at Camila. "I was too when I got my first tat. It's intimidating, especially the knowledge that it's stuck on your body forever. But, as you can see, I kind of got over that fear," she chuckles, holding both arms out for them to see.

"I..." Camila gulps, not sure where this newfound courage is coming from. "Is it okay if I touch them?" She blushes. "I just find tattoos extremely fascinating, and yours are so pretty."

Lauren smiles, not looking the least put off. "Sure, I love showing them off anyways." She's got this cheeky grin going on, the tip of her tongue trapped between her teeth, and it makes Camila's stomach do somersaults.

Turning slightly in her chair, Lauren lays her arms out over Camila's lap so the girl has easier access to them.

At the first touch of Camila's fingertips to Lauren's skin, there's goosebumps rising, spreading along her arms.

"Sorry, ticklish." Lauren's blushing, and it looks adorable on the girl. She never thought she'd find a tattooed, badass looking girl like Lauren  _adorable_ , but that's where Camila is at this point in her life.

She can't say she saw it coming.

Camila traces the outline of each pattern, reveling in the smoothness of Lauren's skin, and Lauren helps her out by rotating her arms when Camila wants to see the other sides.

"Those other tattoos you have; they're really pretty too."

"Huh?" Lauren had zoned out from the sensation of Camila touching her.

Chuckling quietly, Camila repeats herself. "The tattoos on your shoulders and ribs. I think they're also really gorgeous. All of your tattoos are gorgeous, to be honest. You have really good taste in art."

Lauren smiles, pulling her arms away and rubbing at them since it seems like Camila is done. "Thanks, that means a lot to me, because my tattoos mean a lot to me. I don't get them just for the hell of it."

"I can tell. It's a beautiful form of self-expression."

The girl is looking at Camila like she's just said the most amazing thing ever, but before they can continue their conversation, someone approaches them.

"Camila, right? You're my two o'clock." The guy standing before them looks a little older than them, with shaggy blonde hair, an earring in his right lobe, and tattoos all over his arms. He gives a nod of approval towards Lauren's own arms when they stand up, then turns around and leads them to his station.

"My name is Justin. I have you until four thirty. Do you have an idea of what you're getting?"

"I want to get an anchor with a rope looping around it, about the size of... a hair tie, I guess?" Camila explains, eyeing the tie on her own wrist as a reference.

Justin nods, already flipping through his books for some sketch ideas based on what Camila wants. "That'll take me about two hours. And what about placement?"

Camila tilts her head to the side, furrowing her eyebrows. "That's the thing. I couldn't really decide on placement. I was hoping you had some suggestions."

Glancing up, Justin stops searching for a moment to give Camila his attention. "Hm, well you could put it on your... hip maybe? Perhaps your shoulder, or-"

"You should get it done on the back of your neck." Lauren speaks up for the first time, only looking at Camila.

She looks a little surprised, returning Lauren's gaze. "Really?

Lauren nods. "Yeah. It's a nice starting point. You can hide it if you want to, but if you want to show it off, it's pretty easy to do so. Plus... I think it'll look nice there." She smiles a little shyly, her green eyes sparkling.

Camila thinks back to Lauren's dragonfly and how intriguing she found it. She suddenly falls in love with the idea.

"Okay. I'll do that. I like that placement." She looks up at Lauren. "Thank you for the suggestion."

Before Lauren can reply, Justin is speaking up. "So, back of the neck then. Are you doing just black and gray, or do you want more color in it?"

"Just the black and gray."

Justin nods, then displays some of the sketches he picked out. "There's a few different styles here. Which one do you like best?"

Camila scans over the drawings, finding one almost identical to what she had in mind. "I love this one, but could you have the rope weave around the entire anchor?"

Nodding again, Justin stands up from his stool. "No problem. Let me go sketch it up real quick and we can get started."

~~

"Camila, you need to calm down. He hasn't even started yet."

She stares back at Lauren with wide eyes. "Shouldn't that tell you how nervous I am?!"

Lauren chuckles, shifting her stool closer. Camila is straddling the tattoo chair so Justin can easily access her neck, and so far he's only laid the tracer ink down.

"If you can't even keep your cool for this, how are you going to stay calm for two hours?"

"Laaaureeeen," Camila practically whines, because the girl keeps laughing at her. "Quit making fun of me." She busts out her best pout, which seems to work because Lauren visibly crumbles at the sight and looks extremely sympathetic.

"I'm sorry," she coos. "I'll stop."

Camila flinches when she feels Justin's gloved hand touch the back of her neck. "Alright, I'm going to start now. You ready?"

Biting her bottom lip, Camila gulps, exhaling through her nose. She focuses worried eyes on Lauren, and the girl shuffles closer, hesitating for a moment before grasping Camila's hand and interlocking their fingers. She gives Camila a silent nod and an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry. I'll be with you the whole time. It'll be over before you know it."

Camila feels herself actually calming down at Lauren's words. She locks eyes with Justin in the mirror and sees him send a warm smile to her and Lauren. Taking a deep breath, she nods her head and Justin leans forward to begin.

The sound of the buzzing gun suddenly fills the space, and the moment the needle touches Camila's skin, she can't help but flinch. Justin immediately pulls backwards, but Lauren just covers their joined hands with her other one, squeezing Camila's fingers reassuringly. Camila smiles gratefully, and Justin shifts forward to try again.

When the needle touches her skin again, Camila cringes slightly, but not enough for it to disturb the tattooing process. In fact, even though it's painful, Camila doesn't flinch again, and she keeps her cool for a majority of the two hours.

(Afterwards, she tells herself it wasn't because of Lauren that she didn't freak out, but Camila doesn't even believe herself.)

The time is filled with pleasant conversation between them and Justin, and they find out he's a pretty chill guy who is doing what he genuinely loves. Sometimes he comes across as a bit of a jackass, but it's the tolerable kind.

He makes the process as easy for Camila as possible, which she is extremely grateful for, but it's the girl sitting across from her- not moving from her uncomfortable stool to the plush couch in the corner, holding her pee in for as long as possible because she's worried about leaving Camila, accepting the bone-crushing squeezes of Camila's hand when the needle traces the skin over her bones -that helps Camila get through it.

She doesn't want to admit it, but it's all true (the funny feeling in her stomach for the past two hours that wasn't due to the needle testifies to that).

~~

"So, are you ready to see the finished work Camila?" Justin asks, standing next to her in front of the large wall mirror, Lauren on her left side.

Camila is practically vibrating with excitement because  _she finally did it, she finally fucking did it_ , something she's wanted to do for so long, and she's so happy. She nods her head quickly, the bun her hair is wrapped up in bouncing with the movement. Justin holds a handheld mirror up behind her and she leans in so the reflection is larger.

Even through two mirrors, Camila loves it, admiring the symmetry of the anchor, and how the rope winds around the entire tattoo. She's so excited that she spins around to wrap Justin up in a hug, who pauses for a moment before returning it.

"Oh my god thank you so much!"

"I'm glad you like it," Justin chuckles.

"I love it, oh my god." She turns around to face Lauren, a wide smile stretching from ear to ear. "Lauren, what do you think? Isn't it awesome?" Camila spins around  _again,_  this time so Lauren can see the back of her neck.

Lauren reaches up, rubbing her thumb near the tattooed area. "It is. I knew it would look amazing there." She makes eye contact with Camila through the mirror. "I knew it would look amazing on _you_."

Camila is just staring at Lauren, her eyes locked with twinkling green ones, while Lauren has a soft smile that only seems to come out when she's looking at Camila. She blinks a few times, feeling her cheeks heat up, and breaks the eye contact, turning her head towards Justin.

"Thank you again, so much."

Justin waves his hand dismissively. "Hey, I'm just glad it lived up to your expectations." He shifts over to his work station, opening a drawer to grab something. "If you want to take a seat again, I can wrap it up for you, and then we can go over how to take care of it."

"Wait, before you do, I just want to get a quick snapchat of it. Lauren, could you take it for me?"

Lauren nods, so Camila pulls her phone out, unlocking it and handing it to the girl. She waits a few seconds, then grabs the phone back when Lauren hands it to her. "Thanks babe."

Camila doesn't notice that she let the pet name slip out, too busy typing a caption for her latest snapchat story. Preoccupied, she straddles the chair again, and when she's finally finished, Camila glances up, noticing Lauren's cheeks are red and she's looking down bashfully.

Justin starts explaining tattoo care to her before she can question Lauren about her behavior.

It doesn't take more than ten minutes, and once everything is done and paid, he walks them to the door.

"Thanks again Justin. I really love it."

"No problem," he returns, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Oh, and Lauren, your tats are fucking dope." She smiles at him, saying a quick  _thanks_  from the doorway.

They leave the shop, but Justin sticks his head out, stopping the door right before it closes.

"By the way guys." He waits until they turn around to look at him. "You two make a really cute couple." His smile is genuine, not creepy, and he gives one more nod before disappearing back into the shop.

They both just stand there with wide eyes, staring at the closed door, blushes painting their cheeks.

A few seconds later, Lauren turns to catch Camila's eyes, and she smiles warmly at the girl.

"Come on," Lauren prompts, nodding her chin down the sidewalk. "Let's get going."

Camila follows, the word  _couple_  repeating over and over in her head.

~~

They're walking into their dorm building together, Lauren holding the door open to let Camila through first.

"Thanks again for coming with me." Camila bites her lip as she looks down, her hair curtaining her face. "I couldn't have done it without you," she adds shyly.

Lauren smiles widely, gently placing a hand on the girl's lower back to guide her through the halls. "It was my pleasure, really. I had fun actually. Got to know more about each other," Lauren finishes with a shrug.

Camila nods in agreement as they approach her room. Lauren's is the next floor up, but she opted to drop Camila off first instead of heading straight up there.

She unlocks the door (with difficulty, because the damn thing still sticks all the time), but doesn't move to go in yet. 

"So uh, yeah. I'm glad we got to know each other better," Camila says, then realizes Lauren already said that.

"Uh huh. Me too." Lauren scratches the back of her neck awkwardly and shuffles in her spot. "I'll see you around." She looks like she's debating something for a moment before she leans forward to embrace Camila in a hug.

Camila gladly wraps her arms around Lauren in return, enjoying the warm feel of the girl's body and breathing in the same fruity scent of her shampoo. It awakens something in Camila, because her different senses are activated and they bonded today and had special moments and the couple thing and Lauren is being so sweet with her, and it all becomes too overwhelming for Camila.

They pull away, Lauren offering a sweet smile and a wave as she turns and heads for the stairs.

Camila watches her go, unmoving in her spot, because she's just realized something. She had been repressing the feeling, whatever it was, for so long, and now, almost three months after meeting Lauren, she can identify what it is.

She likes Lauren, and it is scaring the  _shit_  out of her.

~~

Camila doesn't know what to do with these feelings. Every time she thinks about them, it makes her panic, and Dinah isn't even home for her to freak out at. She's been pacing around their small room for the past half hour (there's probably going to be a Camila-shaped hole worn into the carpet by the end of it), trying but failing to digest these emotions.

Glancing at her forgotten phone on the desk, she gets an idea (which in hindsight, isn't a very good one, but she's panicking here), and quickly picks it up, dialing the number of someone she hasn't had a chance to see much of lately.

"Hey Camila! How are you?"

She ignores Hailee's question. "What are you up to right now? Wanna go grab something to eat?" Camila pauses to take a breath because she's speaking too quickly. "I finally have some time so I figured, why not be spontaneous, you know?"

Hailee chuckles on the other hand. "I was just going to hang home and study, but yeah, I'm definitely up for some dinner."

"Great! I'll pick you up in half an hour? We can decide where to go then."

"Sure thing. I'll see you then."

~~

"Wow, can you believe this is the first time we've hung out since that evening?" Hailee asks as she digs into her burger.

Camila swallows the bite in her mouth, wiping her lips with a napkin. "I know. I guess our schedules just haven't really synchronized since then. Plus I've been super busy lately."

Hailee nods, taking a sip of her soda. "Same. I'm drowning in homework." She takes another gulp of her drink, then looks at Camila softly. "So... what exactly is this?"

Shoveling a couple of french fries into her mouth, Camila looks up, raising an eyebrow in question. She holds one finger up to signal that she needs a moment to finish her mouthful. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you randomly called to hang out, and while I was super excited at first, you seem kind of... distracted, I guess. Is something going on?"

Camila's eyes go a little wider, and she glances away guilty, not responding right away. But she feels this need to tell someone,  _anyone_ , about what she discovered today.

"I... I don't know Hailee. I don't know what I'm doing. I called you because, well, honestly," she pauses, looking extremely apologetic. "I needed a distraction. Some...  _things_ , happened today, and I sort of figured something out."

Hailee's head tilts to the side, and she studies Camila with a steady gaze. "Did you  _sort of figure out_  you have feelings for someone today?" Hailee guesses (correctly), because she's surprisingly perceptive.

Dropping her burger back onto its paper, Camila looks even guiltier, not holding Hailee's eye contact.

"I... yeah."

Hailee nods, placing her food down as well, and wipes her hand with a napkin. "Look, Camila. I was fascinated by you the moment I saw you, and you were even nicer than I imagined when we started talking. Our evening last month was so much fun, and I've really enjoyed texting you the past few weeks. Basically, what I mean is, I have a crush on you."

Camila opens her mouth to apologize, because she feels  _so fucking shitty_  right now for doing this to Hailee.

Hailee continues before Camila can speak. "No, no, you don't have to apologize. I'm not trying to get your sympathy. What I'm trying to say is... whoever this person is, that you like, is one lucky bitch, and they better be damn grateful about it."

Hanging her head, Camila picks at the lid of her drink. "I don't even know if she likes me back though," Camila replies quietly.

"She'd have to be an idiot not to."

"Well, sometimes she is kind of an idiot." Camila laughs quietly. "But, we have these moments sometimes... I don't know. It feels like there could be something there."

Hailee slaps her palms against the table, causing Camila to look back up quickly. "Well, then take that something and turn it into  _something more_. I can tell you're caught up about this girl. Fucking tell her!" Hailee's voice is raising excitedly, and there's children around, so she lowers it before they get in trouble.

"Sorry," she giggles. "Didn't mean to get so worked up. But I'm serious. If you like this girl, and you think she likes you, you should go for it."

Camila stares in shock at Hailee. She didn't expect the girl to be so supportive. "You're... you're okay with this? With me liking someone else?"

Hailee shrugs, picking up her burger to resume eating it. "I mean, yeah it kind of sucks, but you're a really cool person, and being your friend isn't that bad either." She licks some ketchup off her finger. "You're tolerable to be around, I guess," she jokes with a cheeky smile.

Swallowing a mouthful of air, Camila reaches across to take Hailee's hand (the one she  _didn't_  lick). "Thank you, so so much, for being cool about this. I am so sorry. Holy shit, I'm  _such_  a shitty person. You don't deserve it. Any of it."

"Hey, seriously, don't worry about it. Now, come on. Tell me all about her. I want to know who's gotten you so worked up."

So Camila does tell her. Because Hailee is so sweet, and it's nice to rant to someone about Lauren who doesn't know her. And also because,  _wow_ , she really does like Lauren.

She's not even denying it anymore.

~~

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was rushing to get the last part done, so if it feels a little forced that's why. i apologize. anyways, some nice fluffy camren to reward you guys for being so awesome. next chapter is last, and it'll be out in a few days. i start another class tomorrow but i'll try to fit some time in (in between my studying and homework and classes) meaning i'll slack on those and write this instead.  
> like always, go check out my wattpad. got some other stuff on there that's not on here. i'm ready to pass out so enjoy and let me sleep.
> 
> https://www.wattpad.com/user/champagnetoast


	5. Chapter 5

They're hitting up another party tonight, and of course Dinah is forcing Camila to go too. She's not too keen on going, because one, obviously she's not much of a partier, but,  _um, hello_? She's just discovered she has feelings for someone she used to strongly dislike (hate feels like too harsh a word), so excuse her if dealing with stupid drunk people is not at the top of her list.

But Dinah can't be blamed, because she doesn't know about Camila's recent revelation, so Camila puts on a short, high-waisted skirt and a long-sleeved crop top, and sucks it up.

The biggest problem isn't that she likes Lauren. Because when Camila finally stopped freaking out to think about it, she realized there are a lot of redeeming qualities about the girl.

Lauren is very attentive to how other people are feeling and she tries her best to comfort them when they need it. She's extremely polite (when it's the right situation), could probably charm a girl's panties off, and takes a genuine interest in other people. Her eyes are warm and inviting, her smile could melt your heart, and she's got the cutest laugh.

There are a lot of things about Lauren that Camila could go on and on about, but she  _really_  needs to stop making daydreaming about the girl a habit.

(Camila missed an entire lecture once because she was so lost in her thoughts. That should have told her something.)

Normani texted to meet downstairs outside their dorm building when her and Dinah were ready, but Camila is tired of seeing her roommate dance around in her underwear, taking  _so damn long_  to get ready, so she decides to wait with Normani downstairs.

As Camila exits the stairwell, she begins to slowly walk down the long hallway leading to the exit. Sound carries really well in these hallways, so she easily makes out Lauren's and Normani's agitated voices coming from around the corner.

"Laur, that's not how that shit goes. You have to do something about it."

"Fuck you, you  _know_  I'm not good at this shit!" Camila hears Lauren whisper yell as she gets closer.

"Maybe it's time to stop being a goddamn pussy and tell her!" Normani is starting to get worked up too, their voices raising as the conversation goes on.

"And what if it doesn't work out the way you think it will? I can't handle that shit again!"

"Fuck Lo, you can't keep living like you're scared. Plus, you and I both know she's different."

_She? Who are they talking about?_

Camila feels a little guilty for hearing this obviously private conversation, but she didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"Shit, Mani, I-" As Camila finally rounds the corner, the two girls are standing near the doors, Lauren with a hand running through her hair and Normani with her hands on her hips.

They both jump in surprise at seeing Camila appear, and Lauren looks especially worried.

"Oh, hey guys," Camila pretends to have just noticed them, because she doesn't want them freaking out that she heard something she shouldn't have. "I couldn't stand watching Dinah get ready anymore so I came down first. I told her to hurry her ass up though."

Normani visibly relaxes, but Lauren still looks a little shaken up.

"You guys planning on getting drunk tonight?" Camila asks, hoping to change the subject and calm Lauren's nerves.

"Nah, probably not. Laur and I are still feeling it from the last party."

Camila laughs. "Wasn't that like, two weeks ago?"

Shrugging, Normani nods towards Camila with a smile. "What about you?"

"Oh my god no, never again. The only reason I got drunk that one time was because Dinah tricked me. That's not happening again." Camila looks at Lauren again who has finally seemed to calm down.

Normani glances at Lauren for a moment, then back at Camila with a smirk on her face. "You're quite the affectionate drunk, aren't you?"

Camila feels her cheeks heat up, looking away at the memory of how Lauren and her acted with each other during that first party.

"I, well I guess so. I'm not usually such a cuddly drunk though. I'm often more like Ally. You know, I can't help laughing at everything. Like a giggly drunk," Camila explains.

Her smirk growing wider, Normani jerks her thumb in Lauren's direction. "Wait until you hear what kind of drunk Lo over here is."

Lauren's eyes grow wide, and she whips her head to the side to glare at Normani.

"Oh my god, so she's-"

"Shut up Mani, Camila doesn't need to know that." Then Lauren turns back to Camila. "You don't want to know, trust me."

Camila giggles, licking her lips as she answers. "I don't know, I'm kind of curious now."

Normani is about to start speaking, but she sees Lauren move to interrupt her again, so she places a palm over Lauren's mouth and quickly rushes out her words.

"She's a horny drunk!"

Raising an eyebrow, Camila eyes Lauren, then Normani, who has removed her hand from an angry looking Lauren.

"No way. For real?"

"Oh yeah, definitely." Normani looks towards Lauren, a mischievous expression on her face. "She tried to hump a girl on the dance floor."

"Mani! That was one time!

At Normani's words, Camila feels a weird pull in her chest, especially when she imagines that scenario in her head.

_There's no way she's jealous._

Of course she is. The thought of anyone getting to touch Lauren like that ignites something in Camila, but she forces it down, willing it to go away.

Normani's eyes are on Camila, who has a cheeky but proud look on her face. Meanwhile, Lauren is staring at Camila, her mouth slightly open, as if she's realizing something.

Camila doesn't like the scrutinizing looks she's receiving, especially with the thoughts that were in her head just moments ago. She wishes she had waited upstairs.

Then, as some sort of godsend, Dinah appears around the corner, effectively defusing whatever situation was happening beforehand (of course, Camila would never tell Dinah she is a godsend, because, well, that girl's head is bigger than her hair).

"Y'all bitches ready to go?" Dinah looks around. "Hey, where's Ally?"

"She's meeting us there. Let's go," Normani answers, tugging a silent Lauren outside. Dinah pushes Camila towards the door, and she's starting to wonder if it's a good idea to go tonight.

~~

This party is not as bad as Camila thought it would be. It's got a more chill vibe, people aren't rushing to get drunk, and she feels herself actually having fun.

She's on her second drink, and she doesn't even feel the first one, because she had been sipping at it so slowly. Plus, she probably danced all the alcohol off with Dinah anyways.

Now, Camila is watching as Ally takes her place, laughing and messing around with Dinah, and it looks hilarious because Dinah is a good nine inches taller than Ally.

Normani and Lauren had left the dance floor about twenty minutes earlier and Camila had spotted them chatting with some friends near the kitchen. Currently, she's standing off to the side, pretty content to people watch. It's not that she's a wallflower, because Camila is fairly outgoing and finds it easy to make friends. She just enjoys observing other people, watching their interactions with those around them.

As Camila surveys the room, her eyes catch Lauren's, who was glancing her way, and Lauren sends her a soft smile as Camila offers a shy wave. She's so caught up in warm, green eyes that she doesn't notice someone standing next to her until they clear their throat.

Camila turns her head to the left and sees a guy standing next to her, probably a freshman too, with short brown hair and amber colored eyes. He looks vaguely familiar, but she can't quite place where she's seen him before.

"Hey, Camilla, right? We're in the same psych class." Camila cringes slightly at his mispronunciation, but then realizes that's where she recognizes him from.

"Hey, uh, Shane, right?"

He laughs. "Shawn, actually." Oh, whoops. She was close (and she doesn't feel that bad about it, because, well, he didn't get her name right either.)

"How are you?"

Now, Camila isn't stupid. She knows what he's doing, because his body is angled for her to notice his physique, there's a charming smile on his face, and he's giving off a flirty vibe.

Usually, Camila would be all for a distraction from her feelings for Lauren, but she's come to accept them, and she doesn't really want to get involved with anyone else right now. Shawn seems like a nice enough guy though, and she wouldn't mind a little light conversation, but she's just hoping he doesn't take it the wrong way.

"I'm doing alright, still trying to finish up that annoying research paper for class. Have you finished yours yet?" Camila figures if she keeps the subject on something neutral, he'll understand she's not looking for more without her having to actually vocalize it.

"Yeah, I just turned it in today, actually. Thought I could reward myself with this party," he chuckles lightly. "But hey, if you're having trouble with it, I could always help you out. Two heads work better than one."

Well shit. That conversation topic backfired on her. Camila wants to find a way to turn him down before she leads him on, but she's never been good at rejecting people. She doesn't realize that while lost in her thoughts, Camila had been staring up at him, biting her lip as a subconscious habit she does while thinking.

He takes it the completely wrong way, and thinks it's an invitation to move closer, effectively invading her personal space now. It's not in a pushy way; it's more like he thinks she's interested too.

"I'll take that as a yes," Shawn says with a grin. "So, I've been meaning to tell you this ever since I saw you in class, but I think you're very beautiful."

 _Fuck_ , she can't help the blush she lets out. Receiving compliments always does that to her, and she really wishes there was a way to stop it. Camila is giving off the vibe that she's interested, when in reality it couldn't be further from the truth. She's starting to regret being nice in the first place.

Out of the corner of her eye, Camila notices movement, and when she glances over, Lauren is storming off, pushing her way through the crowd to the far end of the apartment they're at. Suddenly all Camila can think about is  _Lauren Lauren Lauren_. She doesn't want Shawn, at all.

"Look Shawn," Camila begins, slightly rubbing the anchor on her neck, sighing as she does so, because it's still really hard for her to reject people. She feels mean doing so. "You seem like a really nice guy. And if this were any other time, I might be interested. But... but I like someone else."

Shawn stops for a moment, looking down at Camila, before backing away, giving her her personal space back. "Oh," he mumbles, finding his drink more interesting all of a sudden. He looks embarrassed, and Camila can't help but feel a  _little_  bad.

"I'm sorry," she says, about to place a comforting hand on his arm before thinking twice about it. "We can still be like... class buddies? Or something?" Camila offers, because while she wants to make him feel better, she  _really_  just wants to find Lauren.

He looks a little better at her words, and nods at Camila with a small smile. "Sure, that'll be nice. Thanks for, you know, letting me down easy. Not a lot of people do that nowadays, and it's super embarrassing as is."

Jesus. In the span of a month, two people have shown interest in her that were interested and kind off the bat, yet she likes the one who was such an asshole at the beginning.  _Figures_. But Camila knows Lauren is genuinely kind, and she's come to see this soft side of the girl, hidden underneath the intimidating tattoos. A girl she never expected to  _like_ , that interesting first day of college.

Camila smiles. "Excuse me, I need to go find someone."

Shawn steps away, giving her more room to walk by. "Good luck."

She nods, moving past him into the crowd. Camila has no idea where Lauren went, but she figures asking Normani is a good place to start.

"Hey Mila. What's up?"

"Do you know where Lauren went? I wanted to speak to her."

Normani frowns, looking around at the crowd. "No, I have no idea. She got pissed all of a sudden and stormed off. I was about to go look for her though."

Camila squints her eyes, searching for that familiar face in the sea of tipsy people. "Don't worry about it. I'll talk to her."

"You sure?" Normani asks, with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, I got this."

Excusing herself, Camila pushes her way through the apartment, passing by an unaware Dinah and Ally as she looks for Lauren. Reaching the end of the room, Camila finds herself near some balcony doors, as just as she's about to turn around and keep looking, she notices a familiar silhouette on the other side of the glass.

Placing her empty cup down onto a nearby table, Camila quietly pulls the sliding door and squeezes through the opening, shutting it once she's outside. Lauren turns her head to look at Camila, noticing the music had gotten louder for a moment. She looks somewhat surprised, but she shifts to the side a little to give Camila room to lean against the railing as well.

They both stand there, side by side but not touching, admiring the view and the cool California night air. A full thirty seconds pass of neither girl saying anything before Camila turns her head to look at Lauren.

"You okay? You left kind of quickly there."

Lauren doesn't say anything right away, just purses her lips and keeps staring straight. For once, Camila can't read Lauren's expression and it bothers her.

"What happened to the guy you were talking with?" Lauren asks, ignoring Camila's question.

"Who, Shawn? He's just someone from my psych class. We were talking about a paper that's due next week."

Lauren lets out a low chuckle, but it doesn't sound like she thinks anything is funny. "I didn't know guys draped themselves all over girls when discussing  _homework_."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Camila asks defensively, turning her whole body to face Lauren.

Lauren groans and run a frustrated hand through her wavy hair. "I don't know! I just... ugh, I don't know what to do."

"You don't know what to do about what? Lauren, what are you talking about?" Her previous anger is gone, replaced with worry about the other girl. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes. No. Maybe? I can't... I don't understand how to handle... I'm, I'm not, just, what if I... it's so confusing-"

"Lauren!" Camila raises her voice to catch the girl's attention, pulling both of Lauren's hands down from where they were running over her face in exasperation. "Take a breath. You're speaking too fast, I can't understand what you're saying."

Camila runs her thumbs comfortingly over Lauren's tattoos, waiting for the girl to calm down. But when Lauren finally looks up and makes eye contact, Camila feels all the air leave her lungs, because those green eyes, while they look as bright as ever, even in the dark, there's something more. Lauren is staring at her so intensely that Camila feels her heart stutter in her chest and her thumbs have stopped stroking Lauren's skin.

She watches as Lauren licks her lips slowly, leaving them parted as she breathes in and out. Pulling her arms from Camila's grasp, Lauren places her hands on the girl's hips, taking a step closer. Green eyes flicker down to Camila's lips, and  _oh_. 

Lauren is leaning in, and Camila doesn't move away. Her eyes close only moments after Lauren's do, and she feels a puff of air touch her lips right before Lauren does.

Camila is not going to be cliche and say that there were fireworks when their lips touched. But only because it's something so much more. It's a feeling she wishes she could bottle up and keep forever, take a hit of when she needs a dose of Lauren.

The only things Camila's aware of now are Lauren's fingers digging into her hips, and Lauren's lips moving sensually against hers, and Lauren's  _scent_  and Lauren's  _warmth_  and  _Lauren Lauren Lauren Lauren_.

It's like once she's had a taste of the girl, she can't stop. (Which is why that bottle would come in handy, see?)

Her arms are dangling uselessly by her side (like,  _why_ ) so she quickly brings them up to wrap them around Lauren's neck and tangle her fingers through black hair.

It's like the action sends some sort of  _all clear_  signal to Lauren, because the next thing Camila knows, Lauren is tilting her head and deepening the kiss. Camila feels a tongue brush her lips and her heart skips a beat.

Camila parts her lips to let Lauren in and feels her nose brush against the ring pierced through Lauren's nostril. Physically shuddering as Lauren's tongue paints the inside of her mouth, Camila tightens her hold on Lauren, palming the dragonfly on the back of the girl's neck. The placement also allows her to maneuver Lauren's head how she wants it.

Camila tilts their heads the opposite ways, Lauren's tongue still in her mouth, and sucks  _hard_. A guttural moan sounds out the back of Lauren's throat, and Camila feels herself react to the beautiful noise.

Sliding her arms around Camila's waist, Lauren pulls them closer until they're hip to hip, and ironically, the new warmth makes her shiver.

Her lungs feel like they're literally burning at this point, but Camila doesn't want to stop kissing Lauren,  _can't_  stop. Their kisses do calm down though, until they're just leaving open-mouthed pecks on each other's lips, catching their breaths in between.

Camila finally pulls back when she feels Lauren chuckling against her lips.

"What?" she asks with a smirk, still wrapped up in Lauren.

"Nothing." Lauren smiles. "Nothing. I'm just... okay, I'll tell you, but it's a secret."

"I'm listening."

"I just kissed this really pretty girl, you see, and it was as perfect as I imagined it would be."

Lightly slapping Lauren on the back of her shoulder, Camila runs her hands through the girl's silky hair. "You dork," she laughs out breathlessly, then pauses. "Hold up. You've imagined doing that before?"

Biting her lip, Lauren gives a subtle nod. "Yeah, a few times here and there."

Camila tilts her head as she gazes at Lauren. "How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you wanted to kiss me?"

Lauren glances away, fingers tracing a pattern on Camila's bare back which sends shivers down her spine. "Honestly?"

Camila nods.

"I'm if being completely truthful, then... the first time we met. Or, well, bumped into each other." Lauren rolls her eyes at the last part, and it's the first time either of them has acknowledged that day. "You looked really hot when you were angry," she laughs out.

"But," she continues, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of Camila's hair behind her ear. "When I realized I felt something more, I think it was during our beach day. Remember? When you rubbed your hands all over my body?" Lauren teases with wild eyes, causing Camila to laugh with her head thrown back. There's a tender look and affectionate smile on Lauren's face when Camila brings her head back up.

"Shut up," she admonishes quietly, no bite behind it. "Wow though. You had feelings for me that long and you never did anything about it?"

Lauren mock gasps, but there's still a challenging glint in her eyes. "I kissed you first! Or did you forget because you were so blown away?"

Camila just rolls her eyes instead of responding to that, because she really wants to kiss the smirk on Lauren's face right off, and that would just prove Lauren's point (the smirk is as infuriating as it is hot).

"That doesn't count," Camila says, tracing the ink on Lauren's left arm in thought. "I was going to kiss you even if you didn't make your move. Plus, I came to find you. That means something."

"Yeah, but I was going to go find you anyways. You just didn't give me the chance to."

"Alright, alright. How about we just agree we both played a part in making the first move?"

"No." Lauren's cheeky grin is the last thing Camila sees before she's being kissed again.

When she thumbs the tattoo on the back of Lauren's neck while the girl places a palm over Camila's anchor, it feels a little like something finally coming together.

~~

"Lauren, you're up!"

Dinah spins around, looking for the girl, but frowns when she doesn't find her.

"God dammit, where is she?"

"Chill the fuck out Dinah," Lauren says, rolling her eyes as she walks over to the group with a drink in each hand. "I was just grabbing a drink for Camz and I."

Stepping down from the platform, Dinah approaches the seating area where Lauren is handing Camila one of the cups. "What, and you didn't get anything for me?"

Lauren snorts, taking a sip of her soda. "You and I don't kiss each other regularly."

"Thanks for the drink, babe," Camila suddenly chimes in, staring up at Lauren with a smile on her face. "But it is your turn to bowl."

Glancing up at the scoreboard, Lauren places her cup down, walking forward to pick up her ball before stopping in front of their lane. Camila watches from behind as the girl lines up her aim, swings her arm back, then launches the ball forwards. It speeds down the lane, just a little off center, and Camila can tell it's a strike before the ball even hits the pins.

Lauren turns around, an arm raised in the air as she grins, making her way back to the chairs.

"Damn, nice one Ralph."

Completely ignoring Dinah (rude), Lauren accepts the hug Camila is offering. "That was so good, babe."

"Thanks Camz, I did it for you," Lauren replies, then leans into Camila's waiting lips.

Camila barely registers the gagging noises Dinah is making next to them, and Ally's  _oh stop it, be happy for them_.

"It's already been a week! They should be sick of each other by now!" Dinah exclaims, flinching at the light slap she receives from Ally.

"Sorry guys," Camila giggles, getting pulled down onto Lauren's lap as the girl sits. "It still blows my mind that I get to kiss her whenever."

" _I_  should be the one saying that," Lauren says back, leaving a cute peck on Camila's cheek.

"Wow Lo, you've turned into a real softie." Normani leans over to the couple, poking Lauren in the side a few times as if to prove her point.

Lauren swats her hand away, tightening her own grip on Camila's waist. "Shut up."

Normani turns towards Camila, watching Ally take her turn in her peripheral. "Hey Mila, did you know that Lauren never blushed this much until she met you? It's like you came along and turned her into some uncool, dorky mess."

"Maniiii," Lauren scolds, but it sounds more like a whine than anything.

Camila giggles, glancing at Lauren for a moment before looking back at Normani. "Really? From afar she came across as this intimidating, badass girl. But then when I got to know her, I found out she was just a soft, squishy teddy bear. I thought she was always like that."

Shaking her head, Normani laughs at Lauren's facial expression. "Nope. She's only like that with you."

There's commotion by their lane, and Normani turns to see that Ally has thrown yet another gutter ball (does that girl seriously have no aim at all?), and Dinah is attempting (key word: attempting) to teach her how to bowl properly. Which isn't really working because there's just a lot of overly loud talking on Dinah's end and foot stomping on Ally's end.

She walks over to them, because  _someone_  needs to deescalate the situation.

"Are you calling me fat?"

"What?" Camila asks with a laugh.

"You said I'm squishy." There's this pout on Lauren's face that Camila wants to simultaneously kiss away and stare at forever.

"Well, you kind of are. But like in a good way. Like a cuddly way. Like, I want to hug you forever because you're so cozy and warm."

Lauren grins shyly, and she's just about to lean in for a kiss when they're both distracted by a loud  _thump_. They look over to see that Dinah has dropped Ally's ball for whatever reason, and she's doing this weird thing with her arms that Camila  _thinks_  is supposed to be a bowling technique? She honestly has no idea.

"Jesus, Dinah has quite the personality."

Camila snorts. "You're telling me. We've been kicked out of a few restaurants before because of her."

Lauren laughs quietly, tracing her finger on Camila's hip. "I don't find that hard to believe, like,  _at all_."

"She can be quite the handful, but she's also done so much for me. I know she comes across as overbearing and maybe a little self-centered or something, but she's honestly one of the most giving people I know."

When Camila turns her head to look at Lauren because she didn't receive a reply, the girl is just watching her, and her eyes look so bright and happy.

"That is so cute, babe. You know I can't  _not_  kiss you after that, right?"

Camila shyly shrugs one shoulder, a small grin on her face. "You don't hear me protesting."

It's amazes Camila how even now, after they've kissed so many times (well, as many times as they can in the span of a week), it still feels like the first time to her. Lauren's lips are so full, sometimes a little chapped (Camila actually finds it kind of cute), and she always ignites these feelings in Camila's stomach that makes her never want to stop.

They get lost in the sensations, and their pecks start turning into kisses that probably aren't appropriate for a family establishment like the bowling alley they're at.

"Yo, you two, get a room!" A balled up napkin is thrown their way and bounces off of Camila's cheek, which finally forces them to pull away. Dinah stalks by, the obvious culprit, and deliberately takes a sip of Lauren's drink just to spite her.

Lauren doesn't even notice though, still caught up in their impromptu make out session.

"I um, I need to use the bathroom. Camz, come with me?"

Camila nods, her eyes wide and still a little breathless as Lauren brings them to their feet, grasping Camila's wrist and tugging them towards the restrooms.

"Use protection!" Camila hears Normani call out, and twists her neck to see Dinah giving Normani a high five as they both giggle. She turns back towards Lauren just as Ally throws another gutter ball.

~~

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooooooo, i totally meant to only do five chapters. but then this one had already hit 4000 words and i wasn't even halfway done with my plans to wrap up the story, so i decided to split it into two parts. there'll be one more chapter after this one, and then the story will be finished. the sixth chapter is mostly just full of all the camren you could want, and should be out in a few days since midterms are over now.
> 
> also omg omg omg, i'm so excited because i bought my tickets a couple of days ago to this year's jingle ball. that means i get to see fifth harmony again. i saw them in florida during their 7/27 tour stop, and it was the coolest thing ever. they're so good live, holy shit. anyways, i just wanted to share that because i am so ridiculously excited.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS TOOK SO LONG.  
> somehow i'm able to write five chapters in the seven days leading up to midterms, but i can't write one fucking chapter the week after midterms. at least it's finally done. and this chapter is basically 6000 words of almost smut, smut, and pillow talk. that being said, i have so much trouble writing smut and i was never good at it to begin with, so i hope it isn't too awkward. please forgive me

Camila hates public restrooms.

Not all of them. For example, she loves the fancy ones in hotels or nice restaurants, especially when they offer fabric towels instead of paper ones.

But bathrooms like the one at this bowling alley- where they have that almost-pee smell to it, and half the soap dispensers have run out, and there's that one stall that's always way darker than the rest -those are the kinds that Camila hates. She'd prefer to hold it until she got home instead of using them.

At the moment though, she's not too concerned about the sanitation of public restrooms. All she can really focus on is how hot and wet Lauren's mouth is against the side of her neck, or how she's completely sandwiched in between the tiled wall and Lauren's eager body.

Lauren's hands are running up and down Camila's sides, occasionally stopping to squeeze at her waist. She moves her lips to Camila's pulse point, wetting the spot as she tongues at the skin. And when Lauren centers her mouth and sucks _hard_ , Camila feels it down below, like there's an invisible tether tugging at her clit. Her knees nearly give out, but Lauren's hands are there to stabilize her against the wall.

"Lau-Lauren, oh my god," Camila breathes out, her hands tangled in black hair as she keeps Lauren's head pressed against her neck.

"Yes, Camila?" She can hear and practically _feel_ the smirk on Lauren's face right now.

"That feels so good."

Camila feels Lauren's chuckle against her neck in short, quick puffs of air. "I could tell, honey. You're already a mess and I've barely even touched you."

She smacks the back of Lauren's shoulder as the girl moves to the other side of her neck, then lets out a quiet groan when Lauren's left hand reaches around to grip her ass.

"This is so bad, we should stop," Camila says (as she makes no effort to stop Lauren).

"But it's so fucking good. This is the most I've gotten to touch you."

Lauren moves her lips to Camila's collarbone, leaving featherlight pecks along the length of it as Camila tilts her head back to allow easier access.

"Well, I mean, I guess it's been kind of hard since finals are coming up. We've-" Camila pauses because Lauren's hand has just snuck its way under Camila's shirt and is running up and down her back. "We've, uh, been so busy studying." She barely gets that out, shuddering as goosebumps appear, because Lauren's touches feel _so good_. The girl really knows how to work a person up.

"Uh huh," Lauren half-heartedly agrees as she brushes Camila's hair to the side to begin dotting kisses on her shoulder.

This still mostly-innocent make out slash petting session is turning Camila on more than they have with her previous partners, but she thinks _maybe_ it has something to do with the girl currently making her back up to Camila's mouth.

"I miss your lips. Also, you're talking way too much."

Camila flattens her palm against the back of Lauren's head. "Kiss me then," she says, pulling Lauren back to her lips.

It's a mystery how Camila has gone a majority of her life so far without kissing Lauren, because she can't get enough of her now. Whether it's chaste pecks or Camila is sucking on Lauren's tongue, she's absolutely hooked.

"Mm, fuck, Camz, you're really good at that," Lauren mumbles against Camila's mouth when she sucks on Lauren's bottom lip.

"So let me do it again."

Lauren's hand inches higher underneath Camila's shirt, almost reaching her bra clasp, and the other hand tucks itself into the back pocket of Camila's jeans. While one of Camila's hands is still tangled in Lauren's hair, the other is now running small circles over Lauren's shirt on her stomach. With every full circle, Camila teases at the hem of Lauren's shirt, barely grazing the skin underneath.

Camila's tongue is tasting the inside of Lauren's mouth, but when the girl tries to suck on it, Camila quickly leans back, a smirk on her face. "My turn," she breathes out.

Pushing off the wall slightly, she uses both hands to grip Lauren's waist, spinning them around then pressing Lauren against the tiles. Camila pushes her entire body against Lauren's so that they're touching everywhere: thighs, hips, breasts, and Camila's lips against Lauren's neck. She doesn't stay on one specific spot for too long, instead dotting wet, open-mouthed kisses along the entirety of Lauren's neck, sucking here and biting there until the girl is panting above her.

"Oh my god, if you don't touch me soon, I'm going to-"

"What are you going to do Lauren? Hm? If I don't touch you... here," Camila whispers, ghosting her fingers along the inside of Lauren's thigh. "Then what are you going to do?"

Camila thinks she has the upper hand, until Lauren's head straightens up from the wall it was resting against, a smirk on the girl's face. She runs her hands down until they're resting over Camila's ass. "I'm going to make you wish you did," Lauren says as she tugs Camila right onto her thigh, providing a hint of pressure where she needs it most.

"Oh- oh god," Camila stutters out, quickly bringing her hands up to rest on Lauren's shoulders.

"Mhm." There's still that infuriatingly hot smirk on Lauren's face as she presses her thigh into Camila again, harder this time.

Camila is not usually one for public sex, but she's about to throw caution (and her morals) to the wind and grind herself on Lauren's leg like some kind of desperate highschooler trying to get off in a janitor's closet before someone catches her.

Suddenly though, the door busts open, the two girls jumping away from each other with flushed cheeks. They turn to see Dinah with a hand over her eyes, using the other to try to feel her way around.

"You two better not be getting freaky in here! Make yourselves decent!" Dinah shouts, her naturally loud voice echoing through the bathroom. "We got so tired of waiting that we started bowling for your turns, so don't blame us if Ally drops you to last place with her _impeccable_ skills. I swear that girl has like, no hand-eye coordination whatsoever."

"Dinah," Camila laughs out, partly because of Dinah and partly because they were kind of almost caught. "You can open your eyes. We're dressed, chill."

Slowly peeking through her fingers, Dinah squints one eye at them just to be sure, then removes her hand when she sees Camila isn't lying.

"Yeah, but that don't mean I don't know what you two were doing. Lauren's hair is all over the place, and Mila, your shirt is halfway up your torso. I see you two. You ain't fooling me. You ain't that slick. I see you." Dinah narrows her eyes threateningly at them, putting two fingers up to her eyes then pointing the fingers in their direction. "Now get your asses outside. I get that you're happy you two can finally be gay together but you're here with your friends, _remember?_ "

"Sorry DJ. Not my fault Camz is better than you."

Dinah glares at Lauren as she nods her head slowly. "A'ight. I see how it is Lauser. Don't think that your tattoos intimidate me, 'cause they don't. I ain't scared of you."

"Lo, cut it out," Camila giggles, lightly shoving Lauren.

"Sorry babe," Lauren apologizes, her eyes on Camila.

They both hear the whipping sound Dinah makes, but the girl has the good sense to get a head start on Lauren as she darts out of the bathroom in pursuit of Dinah.

"I'm going to kick your ass, Hansen!"

~~

After bowling, they part ways, mostly because they're all pretty worn out. Finals are in a week and they've been studying hard, so they decided to do a bowling night just to relax for a few hours. And as much as Camila wanted to continue what her and Lauren started in the bathroom, she knows that they're both too burnt out, at least for tonight. She just wants to let it happen when it happens.

(Which will probably be after finals because everyone is too stressed and tired to do much except study.)

Camila and Dinah decide to use the rest of their evening to study, sitting on their respective beds in their pajamas with textbooks and notes spread across their comforters.

She's about to rip her hair out, because a fucking _intro_ to psychology class should not have this much information that needs to be memorized. What's worse is that her instructor taught way too much in too short an amount of time, so she can't even remember whether it was Thorndike or Skinner who taught pigeons how to play ping-pong (which is not even the hardest part of the course). Deciding she needs a break before she does something drastic, Camila makes her way over to the cupboard, grabbing the pack of Oreos and pouring herself some milk from their mini-fridge. Food always makes her feel better.

"Hey, pass me a couple, will you?"

Camila glares at Dinah as she steps over to her bed with the cookie pack in her hand. "You always eat all my Oreos. Why should I give you any?"

Dinah scoffs as she grabs a few and sets them down on top of her notebook. "The same reason I let you eat my Doritos, mija."

"Listen, I-"

"You what? You're going to pay me back for all my chips you've eaten?"

"Whatever. I prefer Cool Ranch anyways."

"Then go buy them yourself, dummy," Dinah jokes, lightly shoving Camila as the other girl sticks her tongue out at Dinah.

Putting the cookies away, Camila goes back to her bed, sitting cross-legged on it with the cup of milk in her hand. Dinah gazes at her thoughtfully from across the room, and Camila frowns at the look on Dinah's face.

"Chee Chee."

"Yeah."

"You're being weird. Stop it."

"I'm just thinking."

"Well quit looking at me like that while you think."

"Nah."

"Dinah," Camila whines this time, finishing the rest of her milk.

"Sorry, I'm sorry. I was just thinking about you and Lauren," Dinah explains as Camila places her empty cup down.

"What about Lauren and I?" Camila doesn't know where this is going.

Dinah shrugs, stuffing her last Oreo into her mouth. "Just that it's funny how your friendship, or whatever you want to call it, started, and where it's at now. It can't even be called a friendship anymore."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Camila asks a little worriedly.

"No don't worry it's not a bad thing. As obnoxious as you two are now," Dinah says with an exaggerated eye roll, "you guys actually suit each other really well. I'm pretty sure half of the tension between you two _before_ you got together was just sexual. Now it's like... if you guys eye fuck each other enough, one of you _may_ actually get pregnant. Hmm... speaking of fucking..."

Camila's eyes widen in warning at Dinah's smirk, but the girl doesn't stop.

"Have you done it yet?"

"Shut up D. You don't need to know about any of that."

"Um, actually, as your best friend, I do. Who else is going to tease you about it?"

Camila sighs and shakes her head, figuring it won't be so bad to tell Dinah since she and Lauren haven't actually _done_ anything yet.

"Jesus, no, we haven't had sex yet. The bathroom earlier today was the furthest we've ever gotten."

"Uuuhhhhhh, and why _haven't_ you rocked Lauren's world yet?" Dinah asks, and Camila can't help but roll her eyes because her friend is so goddamn _extra_.

"Oh my god DJ. It'll happen when it happens. We've been so busy lately, and I'm not about to _schedule_ sex. That's so fucking weird."

This time Dinah rolls her eyes, as if Camila is the extra one. Um, bitch, no.

"That's not what I'm saying Mila. I just figured with the way Lauren drools over you half the time, you'd have already fucked. My bad."

Camila furrows her eyebrows, _because what is Dinah talking about?_

"What do you mean by the way she drools over me?"

"Girl, have you not noticed?" Dinah takes Camila's blank face as an answer. "Even before you two got together, Lauren was always looking at you, checking you out, just staring at you. It was kind of creepy. And then the past few times we've all hung out this week, she was still doing it, even though she now has permission to touch, not just look. I thought you had noticed and were just deliberately teasing her."

"No, I never noticed." (Camila's not going to admit that it was because _she_ was too busy checking out _Lauren_ to see.)

"Lauren may have hated you, but she definitely _liked_ you, if you know what I mean."

Dinah ends the conversation there by focusing on her textbooks, but Camila doesn't continue studying right away.

Was Camila really that blind to all of Lauren's looks? Had she seriously not noticed?

And now that Dinah had brought it up, Camila couldn't stop thinking about sleeping with Lauren. They both certainly wanted to, and there was this sort of tension when they were around each other.

Camila finally goes back to studying, but her mind keeps drifting to Lauren. She and Dinah spend another sixty minutes prepping for finals, but Camila can't help but wish she was alone for that hour, with just herself, her bed, and her less than appropriate thoughts of Lauren.

~~

It should be like, a sin, to study on a Saturday. But that's where Camila is at right now. Finals start in two days, and even though she's pretty much prepared, she wants to keep reviewing because she really cares about her grades. Dinah decided to take a break and hit up the mall, and Camila was tempted to go, but she really just wants to be 100% sure about the material. Although, she's starting to regret not going, at least for a couple of hours, because her brain is fried, she's feeling extremely stressed, and she knows the others (Camila's pretty sure all four girls went) are having way more fun than she is right now.

Camila decides to meet up with them, because Dinah said they'd be there a while, and anything sounds better than studying right now.

 **Hey, how's the mall treating you?** She messages Lauren, because they haven't texted since yesterday and Camila is kind of missing her (whatever, don't judge).

It doesn't take longer than thirty seconds to get a reply back. **Mall? I didn't go.** Camila is about to reply back before her phone vibrates again.

**By the way, good morning beautiful :)**

She couldn't stop the blush on her cheeks if she wanted to. _Fucking Jauregui..._

**You're so charming :P but I thought you went with the others?**

Camila isn't even trying to study anymore, because Lauren is replying right away and talking to the girl is way better than attempting to decipher her own messy notes she's taken in class.

**I thought YOU went. So does that mean you're in your room?**

**Nope, I stayed back because I wanted to get some last minute studying in. And yeah, I'm here surrounded by mountains of books and illegible notes. Why did no one teach me to not write like a four year old?**

**Hahaha, you're too cute. But I know what you mean. I'm doing the same. Do you think you're ready for your tests?**

Biting her lip as she taps out a reply, Camila has completely forgotten about her work. **Yeah I think I am. I'm mostly just studying to be 100% sure at this point. Gives me piece of mind and all that.**

She doesn't see the ellipsis text bubble right away indicating Lauren is typing, so Camila grabs a water bottle from the fridge, hearing the phone vibrate against the mattress a few moments later.

**Want to come over to my room? I've been crammed in here for hours and I have a headache from all this studying. I could use a little break. :)**

Camila smiles, already changing out of her pjs to wear something a little more appropriate than banana pants.

**Sure! I'll be over in five.**

~~

Camila barely has time to even smile at Lauren when the door is opened before she's being pulled into a kiss in the middle of the hallway (not that she's complaining).

"Mm," Lauren hums against Camila's lips, as she wraps her arms around Camila's neck. "I missed you."

Chuckling into the kiss, Camila squeezes Lauren's hips with her fingers. "I missed you too."

After a few seconds of light kisses, they finally pull away and Lauren drags them into her room with a smile on her face. They settle on her bed, and Camila notices the textbooks and papers spread all over Lauren's desk.

"Studying hard, huh?" Camila asks, with a nod towards the desk.

"Ugh," Lauren groans as she leans backwards until she's lying down. "Don't even say the word study. It's somehow making my headache worse."

Camila lies down next to Lauren, stroking her black hair and smiling at the contented hum she lets out. "I'm sorry baby. How can I help you feel better?"

Shifting closer to Camila, Lauren circles Camila's waist with her arms and snuggles into her side. "Just keep doing that. It feels so good."

She scratches her nails along Lauren's scalp, breathing in the pleasant scent of the girl's fruity shampoo. Lauren moves again, and at this point she's completely wrapped herself around Camila, one leg thrown over both of Camila's, Lauren's head on her chest. Camila smiles, because they've never gotten to cuddle before, and she's happy to be making Lauren feel so relaxed.

About ten minutes have passed, and just when Camila thinks that Lauren has fallen asleep, the girl starts rubbing her hand up and down Camila's side. She doesn't think much of it, because it's comforting and relaxing, but then the touches become lighter. Soon, Lauren's fingertips are just faintly tracing Camila's ribs, waist, hip, but then they start going lower and getting higher. Camila feels the touches on her thigh and extremely close to the right cup of her bra.

At first, Camila's not really sure if Lauren is doing that without realizing, or if she's deliberately trying to tease Camila. But then, on the next sweep down to her leg, Lauren's fingers trace Camila's thigh until they're on the inside of her leg, and Camila knows exactly what Lauren is doing now. She feels a distinct throb, because she wants this just as much as Lauren does.

The stroking motion through Lauren's hair has stopped, so the girl takes this as an opportunity to shift until she's completely over Camila, supporting herself on her hands and knees. As Lauren gazes down at Camila, her black hair falls around her face, providing a curtain to the two girl's intimacy.

Camila watches as Lauren just smiles at her, the girl's bottom lip trapped between her teeth. Her green eyes are sparkling as she focuses intently on Camila's own eyes.

"You're cute, you know that?" Lauren's voice is soft and gentle, but definitely raspier than usual.

"You may have told me once or twice," Camila responds, as she places her hands on Lauren's tattooed biceps.

"Have I also told you how sexy you are?"

This time, Camila blushes and doesn't reply, biting her own lip instead.

"Because you are," Lauren continues. "So, so, sexy." She leans down, lightly connecting her lips to the side of Camila's neck. "Like your neck... mm, baby." Lauren starts leaving soft kisses on her pulse point, but they turn more sensual, and soon she's sucking on the skin under Camila's jaw. Once she's satisfied with the slight red mark, she tongues the area quickly, then breathes out slowly on it.

Camila can't help the shiver that goes through her.

"And knowing that your tattoo is there..." She slides her hand under Camila's neck to rub at the back of it. "It looks so good on you, baby." She leaves one more kiss on Camila's throat before moving on.

"Your lips. They're perfect," Lauren says right before she leans in to kiss them, completely taking control of the kiss. She bites Camila's bottom lip when the girl tries to pry Lauren's mouth open with her tongue. When Lauren finally lets Camila into her mouth, she doesn't give the girl any time, immediately sucking hard on her tongue. Camila's fingers tighten around Lauren's arms that she still hasn't let go of, and she feels another throb down below.

Lauren removes her lips from Camila's and wraps them around her collarbone instead, leaving wet, open-mouthed kisses along the length of it. "I find myself staring at this all the damn time," she mumbles against Camila, lifting a hand up to trace a finger along the bone.

Shifting backwards, forcing Camila to let go of her arms, Lauren sits back on Camila's thighs, her fingers fiddling with the hem of the girl's shirt. She gives Camila a pointed look, silently asking for permission, which the girl grants eagerly with a quick nod of her head.

Slowly, Lauren pushes the shirt upwards until it's bunched around Camila's breasts, then tugs it off completely when Camila sits up. Just as Lauren is about to lean down again, Camila pushes her back by the shoulder, pulling on Lauren's shirt desperately. "Please," she whines, "I want to see you."

Lauren smirks but complies, sitting back up to take her own shirt off as well. They've seen each other in bathing suits before, but this situation is very different, one, because they're in bras, and two, because soon they won't be in anything.

(Except each other.

[Camila doesn't even feel embarrassed about that thought]).

After Lauren tosses her shirt away, she leans back down, her face hovering over Camila's abs. Instead of kissing the skin though, she traces her tongue in the dips and over the lines of Camila's stomach. "Every time you wear a fucking crop top, I want to do this to you. Shit, you just love teasing me, don't you?"

"Fu-fuck, Lau-..." Camila breathes out, gripping Lauren's shoulders tightly ( _Lauren's_ the one doing all the fucking teasing right now).

Lauren eventually makes her way up to Camila's bra, and she just smirks, gently squeezing one of the cups, but not hard enough to provide any real relief.

"Lauren, come on," Camila whines again, glaring as Lauren's smirk just gets bigger.

"What, Camila? Use your words. Tell me what you want."

Camila groans loudly as she sits up, unclasping her bra and flinging it across the room before she lies back down. "Lauren, I want you to take that pretty mouth of yours and suck my tits."

She smiles internally when Lauren's own smirk goes away and the girl's eyes darken in lust.

"I'll do anything you want if you ask me like that."

Camila doesn't get a chance to reply because Lauren's hot mouth is covering her left breast, her lips sucking on Camila's flesh and her tongue swirling around Camila's nipple. It hardens under the touch so Lauren takes that as an opportunity to gently bite down on it, tugging at it with her teeth. Camila faintly sees stars flash behind her eyelids, and she lets out a low moan, hands tangling into black hair to keep Lauren in place. The girl hallows her cheeks as she sucks hard, and her left hand comes up to start kneading the other breast.

"I love your cute little tits. I could do this all day, everyday."

"Yesssssss," Camila hisses out, tightening her fingers in Lauren's hair.

Lauren continues working on Camila's breasts until the girl is a panting, shaky mess. Her nipples are hard and sensitive, there's red marks all over her chest, and Lauren is smirking as she admires her work.

By now, Camila is soaked through her underwear and she swears she's never felt this turned on before in her life. She's ready, so ready, for Lauren to take it to the next step, but it seems as if the girl is intent on teasing her as much as possible.

Just as Lauren is about to start kissing her neck again, Camila shakes her head, pushing Lauren back a little.

"N-no, I... please, no more teasing."

"What do you want, baby?"

"Lauren, I swear to god. I am about to explode, so please fucking do something about it before I do it myself," Camila threatens, mostly out of sexual frustration.

Sweeping her hair back over her shoulder, Lauren just nods, leaning in to kiss Camila on the lips before making her way down the girl's body. She presses her lips against the column of Camila's throat, down the middle of her chest, across her stomach, finally reaching the waistband of her pants. Lauren unbuttons the jeans which prompts Camila to lift her hips as Lauren tugs both her pants and her underwear down her legs.

She settles in between Camila's legs, both of them laying over her shoulders, and the long breath of air against her heated center has Camila shuddering in anticipation. But it's the first swipe of Lauren's tongue, from her opening all the way up to her clit that has Camila moaning loudly, because finally, _finally_ , she's getting the attention she needs.

"Oh baby," Lauren groans in between licks. "You taste so good. I've wanted to do this for so long." Lauren's thumb comes up to press at Camila's clit while her tongue traces her entrance.

"Inside, Lauren, I need you inside now." There's desperation in Camila's voice, so Lauren doesn't waste any more time, plunging her tongue in as deep as she can while she rubs around the girl's clit.

The moan Camila lets out is downright _filthy_ , causing Lauren to press her hips against the mattress to get some relief.

Lauren thrusts her tongue in and out, ignoring the ache in her jaw because Camila is making sounds that should be illegal. Her hands grasp desperately at black hair, tangling and pulling in ecstasy, and her legs are starting to shake from her upcoming orgasm.

"Oh, oh my god, shit, Lauren, please... I'm so close," Camila barely manages to breathe out, because she's so worked up, she's losing control of voice.

"Baby," Lauren says in between thrusts. "Are you going to come for me?" Camila can't vocalize any coherent thoughts anymore, so she just nods her head quickly, pressing it back into the pillow.

"I want you to look at me," Lauren mumbles against Camila's center, her left hand reaching up to pinch Camila's nipple. "Baby, look at me."

Camila can barely comprehend the words coming out of Lauren's mouth, hardly aware of anything except her pleasure until she feels a light nip at her inner thigh.

"Camz, fucking _look_ at me," Lauren orders, leaning forward to bury her tongue in Camila again.

She finally looks down, right as Lauren pinches her nipple, presses on her clit, and curls her tongue to rub at _that_ spot. Seeing Lauren's face practically buried into Camila's center, along with the sensations, brings Camila right to the edge. But then Lauren's eyes glance up, locking onto Camila's, and that sparkling look in green eyes sends Camila right into her orgasm.

Her muscles squeeze Lauren's tongue, practically trapping it inside her as she humps the girl's face. Lauren continues rubbing her clit as Camila moans out a series of curse words mixed in with Lauren's name. Her head is thrown back as her back arches off the bed, and with one final tremble, she collapses onto the mattress.

Lauren sits up, her chin and mouth shiny with Camila's release and a huge grin on her face. She leans back down to clean Camila up, sending a slight tremor through the girl when her nose accidentally bumps into Camila's sensitive clit. Using two fingers, she swipes at the come on Camila's thighs, crawling back over the girl. Staring into Camila's eyes, Lauren rubs them along the girl's lips. She leans down to kiss it right off Camila's mouth and she tastes herself as Lauren shoves her tongue through Camila's parted lips.

Finally pulling away, Lauren sits up, straddling one of Camila's thighs. "You good, baby?"

Camila nods, because she can't do much else when her legs still feel like jelly. "So good."

"I'm glad," Lauren giggles out, which is so out of character from the tattooed badass most people think Lauren is.

Lauren moves back for a moment to remove her own pants, underwear, and bra. Sitting back down, she flattens her palms on Camila's stomach, using it as leverage as she starts rubbing herself on Camila's thigh. _Jesus, she's so wet!_

Camila places her hands on Lauren's hips to help the girl slide more easily, and she glances down to see her thigh shiny and slick. Lauren's head is thrown back and she grinds more desperately, her fingertips digging into Camila's abs.

"Oh Laur... you're so warm. How does it feel baby?"

"I, Camz, I... oh god, it feels so fucking good."

"Yeah?" She asks, but then it's suddenly not enough because she wants to be _inside_ of the girl.

"Lauren," Camila says as she grips Lauren's hips to stop her from moving. "Come here. I want you to ride my fingers."

The girl's eyes are so blown that Camila can hardly see any green, but Lauren does stop as she lifts herself off of Camila's thigh and moves to sit in between her legs.

Camila reaches down with her right hand, fingers immediately rubbing at Lauren's clit, smiling at the pleasured moan she lets out. She traces her index finger through Lauren's folds until it's probing at her entrance, but before Camila has a chance to push it in, Lauren is sinking down onto it. Her lip is caught between her teeth and her eyes are shut tightly.

She starts moving up and down on the finger, but after a few thrusts, Camila surprises Lauren by adding her middle finger too.

"Ooooohhhhh Camz..." Lauren groans out, because it's exactly what she needs.

Reaching up, Camila starts rubbing Lauren's clit with her thumb, her left hand on the girl's hip to help her ride Camila's fingers.

"Talk to me Lauren. How close are you?"

"So close, so close," Lauren chants, her hips moving faster as she chases her orgasm.

Her hands are placed on Camila's ribs, and the girl takes a brief moment to stare at the tattoos she's come to appreciate. They've never looked as hot as they do now, as Lauren is riding her fingers, breathing hard, her face flushed from the exertion and her eyes closed tightly.

She can do her admiring later because she knows Lauren is desperate to come. On Lauren's every down thrust, Camila curls her fingers, watching as the girl's face reacts to the new sensation. Her palm presses Lauren's clit just right, and then the girl is coming, with a long, low moan, Camila helping her ride it out with her fingers.

Lauren falls next to her on the small bed, chest heaving and a small layer of sweat on her skin. Camila takes the fingers that were just inside Lauren and puts them in her own mouth, tongue swirling around them as Lauren watches on with deep breaths.

"Fuck, Camz. That was so good. And you're so hot," she compliments, eyes on Camila's lips as she cleans the come off of her own fingers.

They lean in to kiss each other, but it's sweet and slow, just taking in the taste and feel of each other.

Pulling away, Camila tangles her fingers in black hair to resume what she was doing earlier, and Lauren immediately responds to it, curling up closer next to Camila.

She glances down with a pout at Lauren's breasts that are now a lot closer to her face. "I never even got to play with them."

Lauren lets out a small laugh, throwing her right arm across Camila's stomach. "You'll have plenty of time for that. I can't wait."

They sit in silence for a few moments, until Lauren breaks the quiet.

"So," she begins hesitantly, shifting to look up at Camila. "I... I really care about you Camila. I don't want you to think this was just sex for me, because it wasn't. I'm sorry about how I first treated you, but I just want you to know that I like you." Lauren waits in anticipation for Camila's reply, biting her lip nervously.

"I really like you too Lauren. We're were both kind dumbasses when we met, and I'm sorry about that too."

Camila stops when she Lauren's huge grin, and smiles back when the girl places a sweet kiss on her cheek. "Good, because I kind of, maybe, wanted to ask you out on like, a proper date. I know we're doing it kind of backwards because we've already slept together, but..."

She trails off, green eyes gazing hopefully up at Camila. "I would love to," Camila reassures her, pecking Lauren on the nose with her lips.

Lauren scrunches her face up cutely at the action and lays her head back down onto Camila's shoulder.

Taking the hand that isn't running through Lauren's hair, Camila traces the tattoos on Lauren's right arm, stopping at the crook of her elbow. "What does this one mean?" She asks, pointing at some roman numerals.

"That's the number twenty seven. For the day I was born. Pretty self-explanatory."

"Okay, smartass," Camila says with an eye roll. She suddenly remembers their beach day and slides her hand down until it's resting over the butterfly on Lauren's neck. "How about this one?" She asks, lightly running a finger over the tattoo.

"That one has a little more meaning," Lauren starts, shifting to fit her head on Camila's shoulder. "It was the first one I ever got. The day I turned sixteen, my parents took me to their friend's tattoo shop."

"Wow, you got your first one at sixteen?"

Lauren nods. "Seems a little crazy right? But my parents and I had been planning it for a year. If you think I have a lot of tats, you should see them."

"So I guess now I know where you got it from."

"Yeah, but my little sister doesn't really feel the same way. My brother and I both have sleeves, but the most my sis wants is a few small ones here and there."

"To each their own."

"Mhm." Camila continues stroking her hair, and Lauren closes her eyes in contentment.

"Weren't you ever worried about regretting it when you're older or something? Since it might not be something you want in a few years?"

"I did think about that, but my dad told me something that I think about all the time," Lauren says, placing her palm on Camila's ribs. "He said to never regret self-expression. To never regret doing something you feel truly passionate about. Yeah, maybe in a few years you'll wish you hadn't done it. But you can look at it this way: at one point in your life, it meant something to you. So even if it doesn't now, at one point it did, which is kind of a testament to how you've changed and grown. Especially with tattoos. Our bodies are like a canvas, and we have the ability to paint the story of our lives on it. So no, I don't regret it."

When Camila doesn't reply, Lauren glances up to see the girl smiling down at her. "That's... really beautiful. Thanks for sharing that with me.

Lauren shrugs as if it's no big deal. "It's just a thought I like to live by."

They both go quiet after that, enjoying the silent company of each other.

Later that evening, after having dinner with the others and getting a goodnight kiss from Lauren, Camila lies in bed, staring up at the ceiling of her dark room.

There's a lot of things Camila hates. She hates college, especially right now during finals (but she got to meet someone special while attending, so maybe it's not so bad). Sometimes she hates Dinah, when the girl is being a pain in the ass (but then Dinah says something like how Lauren and Camila look good together, so she can be forgiven). She still hates parties (except for that one with the balcony and the best kiss she's ever had). She hates sand to an extent because it gets in places it shouldn't and it's a bitch to clean up (seeing Lauren in a bikini makes up for it). Public restrooms are still something she hates, because they're so nasty and smelly (but she may or may not have at least one good memory from them).

Camila definitely still hates assholes. There's no doubt about that, and it'll probably always be true.

But she doesn't hate Lauren.

~~

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it feels really good to have completed a story that was longer than one chapter. i am starting a long one shot next though. i'm not going to make any promises of when it'll be done but just keep an eye out for that. in the meantime, i'm going to keep adding to the camren smut one shots on my wattpad, so make sure to check them out. feedback really motivates me to write. (also, just so you guys know, this story was supposed to be 20,000 words. whoops.)
> 
> https://www.wattpad.com/story/85723176-camren-smut-one-shots-and-shorts


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